Brood of Apocalypse
by TerminalMadness83
Summary: Apocalypse has been freed from his tomb and has plans for the X-men...
1. Default Chapter

** BROOD OF APOCALYPSE**

** Written by Felix Vasquez Jr.**

**_ Prescript –_**_ Dedicated to all my friends at the site_.

** Egypt 20345 A.D.**

The dusky age old sands of Egypt brushed along the wind like a small tornado crashing through the mountainous sand dunes, the sprinkle of the brown ancient sand brushing along the age old rock formations. There arose a harsh fowl wind along the night, as the wind howled eerily among the many sand hills. The sand had risen due to a natural occurrence among the Earth, and two figures trudged among the sand dunes covered among the relentless sand storm.

"Nothing but sand," a voice muttered in the storm.

"It's Egypt," replied a partner, "did you expect snow?" The two archaeologists walked covered in clothing and masks that covered their face from the probing sand that seeped into their clothing. One man, an older bearded gentleman carried a large map in his hands, guiding himself by the description. By his side stood a young woman of Asian descent who wore goggles and a mask that covered her face and staggered among the sand.

The old man stopped in the sand and looked around confusingly, 

"What is it?" asked the woman.

"This is the spot," he declared.

"It is?" she asked looking around struggling to see through the blanket of sand, "it can't be… it's just more sand."

"It's here," he argued pointing on the map, "It's beneath the miles of sand, remember what happened back in 20200?"

"Sure," she replied, "I read it in the history discs. Egypt was completely buried under thousands of miles of sand due to a natural occurrence with the planet's rotation period. Everyone in the country was killed, very few survived. However, most of the country's landmarks were completely covered with sand including the pyramids and the Sphinx."

"Very good," he remarked, "Now, I've been told there's an underground tunnel dug by some of our excavators. There's been a legend that says there is an advanced machine down there that will enable us to solve the world's poverty and famine."

"You don't actually believe that," she asked skeptically.

"Right now we're desperate," he explained, "the department needs the grant from the government and we have to find the machine or else many of the world's population will enter into starvation and death... the black plague is still evident in some countries."

"Just the two of us?" she asked.

"We'll survey it first," he explained, "then more will arrive to come and dig it out." They walked along the sand and finally walked atop a hollow stone block that protruded from the sand.

"Here," he said looking onto the stone block.

"That's odd," she marveled, "what now?" He knelt down in an exhausted grunt and began scurrying his hands along the surface. Finally, he reached down to small panels and lifted them in an instant. He turned and lifted two more panels that stood hidden in the sand. "Eureka!" he declared aloud. Suddenly, a loud rumbling sound arose from the ground as it shook the two wildly. She grabbed the man and pulled him off the panel as it slowly began descending into the ground. "My word!" he shouted in amazement as he watched the pillar sink down quickly. They stood up as the rumbling ceased and watched a large entrance emerge from the sand.

"Was that there when the pyramids were?" she asked.

"I haven't a clue," he replied, "Shall we?"

"A-After you," she replied nervously. He lurched forward and pulled out a flashlight from his backpack. There stood dusky stairs that lay within the shadows as the sand leaked into the entrance. He stepped down lightly and slowly, terrified he may stir an accident and began making his way down the steps. The woman watched in amazement and waited to hear his voice.

"It's okay," he called from the shadows, "Join me." She pulled out her flashlight and flashed the light into the darkness, almost afraid to even make a move. She stepped down onto the steps and began following the light from the man's flashlight which she saw ahead of her.

They walked along the ancient structure and slowly trekked along a dark and dusty hallway which stood plastered with ancient hieroglyphics. For educated people, they failed to read the hieroglyphics which clearly warned of any intruders.

"There's no booby traps," said the woman, "The Egyptians are known for their traps but it's all so easy."

"Obviously this was created on the spur of the moment," he observed, "they were trying to hide the ultimate machine from the public."

"Ah," she remarked, "Every government is alike." They continued to press forward among the ancient structure and stopped at a clearing which bore no other passage.

"This is it?" she asked looking at the empty space.

"No," he muttered breathless, "it can't be!" He looked around frantically and stood utterly speechless at the disappointment before his eyes, "I've spent all my life researching and studying for a simple dead end?!"

"This is why I didn't want to go on this expedition in the first place!" she argued walking along the clearing, "disappointment. I knew it!" Suddenly the floor began to crumble like dust beneath her feet. She let out a scream and began running towards her partner who reached out for her, but it was too late, the floor had all but deteriorated under her and she fell to the depths below screaming in horror. The doctor called out to her, reaching for her as he watched her disappear into the shadows. He fell to his knees as he watched in horror at her death.

"Doctor Carter," a voice called from within the shadows.

"Wh- wh- Is that you, Kelly?!" he screamed.

"Yes," she replied, "I'm hurt… but I'm alright."

"What is down there?" he asked.

"It's… its unbelievable!" she replied, "You have to witness this for yourself!" He stood up hesitantly and dropped a long rope into the shadows and looped it onto a pillar before his eyes. He strapped it around his plump waist and slowly descended into the chasm below. She lay on the floor, her knee badly hurt as she watched Doctor Carter descend down, the light from above shining down.

He dropped onto the ground and looked around at the darkness waving his flashlight around in wonder. He rushed over to his Kelly and knelt down observing her wound.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm… fine," she replied blankly, her eyes fixated upon a mysterious sight. She tapped his shoulder gently and pointed ahead of her. He looked back in confusion and suddenly gasped in wonder as his eyes widened in amazement.

"My god," he muttered breathlessly, "I-I-It's the machine!" Before their eyes stood a large pyramid shaped sarcophagus which stood among the ancient artifacts that stood strewn among its surrounding and lay in the center of an immense bright spotlight that shone down upon its surface. The sarcophagus glow an eerie blue aura that glimmered and pulsed as if it was alive.

Doctor Carter let out a victorious laugh and stood up, instantly running towards it in glee. Kelly still stood lying on the ground watching in awe as the doctor marveled at its appearance.

"This is it!" he screamed, "This is what I've spent my entire life on! It's finally within my grasp! Ha ha! I'm going to win the Nobel Prize for this discovery. We **_both _**will!"

"What does it do?" she asked.

"It will solve world hunger, end hatred and wars!" he declared.

"How can you be sure?" she asked, "It's too easy."

"You're such a cynic," he argued, "which will ultimately lead to your dismissal in the department." He turned towards the machine and began observing its devices with his eyes, bearing a large smile of wonderment.

"Ah-ha!" he declared with a laugh. He began pressing a sequence of buttons before him quickly and stood back awaiting the machine's activation.

"How did you know to do that?" she asked confused.

"It somehow came to me," he replied stunned, "Amazing. What if this machine provides knowledge?" Suddenly there arose a low hum that echoed through the chasm below, the sarcophagus suddenly becoming brighter and brighter by the second. They watched in amazement and horror as the machine before them activated, the dials and tubes glimmering with a haunting white glow. The pyramid began to break apart, its structure splitting in many pieces as it began to reveal a mysterious shape from within.

Suddenly a large glowing white orb emerged from the top of the pyramid and dove down onto the inside of the sarcophagus. With a bolt of light is smashed into the inside of what looked like a coffin. The coffin with ancient engravings suddenly began splitting in two. They could barely bring themselves to move as they watched in wonderment at the spectacle before their eyes. From within, two eyes opened wide, a dark force re-awakening once more. They continued witnessing the miracle before them as a large mountainous figure emerged sitting up slowly, its body muscle-bound and statuesque, its haunting blue skin shining in the light.

The figure turned its head noticing the presence of the two witnesses and glared at them with a horrifying gleam. It stood so tall and towering as it slowly hovered from the tomb and turned upward, its body hovering along the air. Its body resembled that of a machine combined with a demon, his red eyes glowing it looked down onto them with an unimpressed glare.

"Just as I had planned," the doctor muttered amazed.

"No, doctor," it replied, "Just as **_I_** had planned." He lifted his large hand up and pointed his palm at Kelly who lay watching in amazement. Suddenly a green ray blasted from his hand and smashed in Kelly; she let out a horrified scream as she was lifted off the ground by the being's power and lifted her in the air.

"Kelly, no!" Carter screamed, "Leave her alone!"

"You sought to seek the ultimate knowledge, yet came upon more than you bargained for," the figure said, "Pity. All those wasted years were in vain; its knowledge you seek?" He clenched his hands into a fist as Kelly screamed aloud in pain, her body suddenly bursting into thin air into oblivion.

"P-Please," the doctor pleaded whimpering, "Don't kill me."

"The ultimate sacrifice of knowledge is pain," he replied blasting the doctor and lifting him off the ground. The doctor cried aloud in pain as he hovered off the ground, his body twisting in agonizing pain, "the only knowledge man will ever know is pain, pestilence and death."

"Who… are…you?" muttered the doctor in pain.

"My birth name is En Sabah Nur, but to mortals I am Apocalypse!" he declared in a thunderous proclamation, "Bringer of death, and homo-superior being of all existence. I have conquered lands and destroyed alien races among the galaxy who dare to challenge me. You have awoken me from my eternal slumber and I live again, reborn and rejuvenated! Doctor, your expediency to me has drawn to a close."

Like a Greek lord, he closed his hand tight, the doctor bellowing aloud in agonizing pain as white orbs surrounded his body and in one instant enveloped him. Within an instant, his body burst into thin air emerging into oblivion. Apocalypse watched the dust settle among the ground as his two pawns in his plan has been easily extinguished before his hands. He was god, he was almighty, and he'd gotten rid of them like the measly human ants they were.

"So it commences," he declared, "Dormant for centuries within this infernal tomb… they thought they could imprison me forever! The Fools! Those peasants could not fathom my vast superior intelligence." He hovered into the sarcophagus, the pyramid structure now re-forming into a pyramid enveloping the blue god. "The reign of apocalypse has begun once more," he muttered, "This time I shall conquer this infernal planet." The pyramid began hovering off the ground revealing to be a spacecraft. A large wormhole emerged from thin air and like a vacuum it consumed the pyramid whole leaving behind dust and sparks in its path.

** Present Day:   
New York State 2003 A.D. …**

"We now join Susan Stokes for our special report on "Mutant Attacks" here on MBC. Susan?"

"Thank you Steve," said the reporter, "Over the past month there have emerged a rash of attacks from wild mutants upon innocent joggers among the area, and tonight we will speak to a survivor of an attack on this menace called Mutants." A young thin woman appeared on the screen sitting among a black background, her eyes dripping tears as she talked.

"Can you tell us what happened during this attack?"

"I was jogging and suddenly… a mutant came out from the bushes and attacked me!" she cried, "It was horrible… it had seven eyes, two heads, three feet, and eight hooves. I hate mutants, I hate them!"

"These mutants are a menace!" cried out a young man in black, "They must be stopped!"

"Three feet and eight hooves?" asked Firestarter, "how is it possible to have only three feet but **_eight_** hooves?" Firestarter, the counselor of the X-academy sat in the television room in front of the television holding the remote as he and other younger students watched television on that lazy early Sunday afternoon.

"Why is it they always ask the crazy people about mutants?" asked a student.

"Because the sane people know better," replied Cyclops who stood over them watching the program in disgust, "What are you all sitting around when there's so much to do?"

"It's Sunday Mr. Summers," replied a student, "During the week we work, but Sunday is when we relax."

"Wrong," he argued, "Sunday is clean up day around the campus. I want all you kids to go to your dorms and clean up because Ms. Munroe is going to do an inspection."

Annoyed groans emerged from the students as they stood up staggering off to their dorms, some of whom teleported into thin air to their rooms.

"I'm a teacher," replied Firestarter, "So I can be lazy."

"You sure about that?" asked Scott.

"I work to the bone six days a week, I'm relaxing," he argued.

"Why don't you help Beast re-configure Cerebro?" he asked.

"And what about you?" he whined.

"I'm supervising the training session between Logan and Kurt in the danger room and continue the reconfiguration on the training sequences with Professor Xavier," he explained.

"Alright, alright!" he groaned standing up and clicking off the television knowing he'd been defeated, "this calls for mutiny."

"Stick your landing," an older student urged as he stood watching a young girl hovering in mid-air. Her dark air waved in the wind as she held her arms out to her sides using her mind to fly. The two students stood behind a tree amidst the open field as children ran around playing, some even playing sports. It was unusual for students to train on Sunday, but they wanted to get ahead.

"I got it," she muttered attempting not to lose her concentration, "I got it."

"You have to stick your landing," the older boy urged her, "You'll—"

"Will you back off?" she said calmly, "I can control my own abilities."

"Oka-ay," he replied in a sing song voice, "I warned you." A silence arose; she raised her head up and sighed as she slowly descended onto the ground. Suddenly she began to stagger amidst the air and violently crashed onto the ground. The boy watched her with a smile, "Told you," he replied.

"Ow," she said sitting on the grass as she rubbed her knee, "I think I sprained my knee, can you help me get to the medical office?"

"Will you listen to me next time?" he asked.

"Yes, now help me up you goon!" she screamed sticking her arms out to him.

"Come on," he said helping her off the ground. It was just another busy hectic day at the Xavier Institute for the Gifted. To outsiders, this place would be deemed to busy and noisy to even think, but to those that lived here, some shielded from the outside world, it was just another day. The noise and screams of the children seemed like a sound as average as birds chirping. There was never a day of quiet in the school everyday was busy, even when the weekend approached.

"Read me those codes would you?" asked Hank. He stood in front of Cerebro wearing a large headphone set as he clicked into the computer mother board of the master computer glaring into the machine.

"P-4-8-2-H-6-8-3-I-7-7," replied Firestarter as he read from the clipboard, "What if someone is listening to the codes? You know, like a spy?"

"Unfeasible," replied Hank, "this room is invulnerable to outside sounds that may interfere with the computer's main hard drive while attempting to mark a mutants DNA or prevent exposing any of its main technological outputs."


	2. Brood of Apocalypse Chapter Two

**CHAPTER TWO**

"You mean the room is soundproof?" asked Firestarter.

"Precisely," he replied flabbergasted, "next code."

"I got a guy who can soundproof the whole room for twenty bucks," offered Firestarter.

"I doubt his resources are as advanced as the professor's," argued Beast.

Logan treaded through the long open marshes of the swamp, his feet slamming into the murky puddles of mud and muck. He paved his way through the long fern leaves seeking out his prey, his long jagged claws shimmering in the moonlight as he held them up in front of his face. He leapt up into the air and began climbing the tall tree with his claws. He finally swung onto a branch and perched silently into the shadows hiding in the leaves as he watched and waited. From within the darkness a shadow emerged slowly scoping out his presence. From afar the figure revealed itself to be Nightcrawler who crawled along hills, his tail wagging behind him as he carefully watched for attack. "Come on, blue boy," Logan growled softly, "slip up." Nightcrawler searched intensely and suddenly caught a glimpse of Logan's shiny claws in the shadows.

Within an instant Logan leapt from the trees like a leopard pouncing upon its prey, Nightcrawler quickly reacted and fell back as Logan quickly tumbled down on him; he mounted his legs upon Logan's stomach and rolled back flinging him over onto the ground. Logan regained his balance from the surprise attack gripping onto the ground with his claws as they slashed through the dirt and instantly charged at him with a growl. Nightcrawler gasped and leapt up over Logan flipping behind him, Logan turned and back kicked him knocking him to his knees. He threw another heavy kick, Nightcrawler grabbed his leg and flipped him by surprise, without caution Logan gained control in mid-air and kicked Nightcrawler In the head. He was knocked down and fell to the ground violently. Logan hunched over the defeated Nightcrawler and pressed his foot against his chest.

With a violent roar, he dropped his hand down onto Nightcrawler finally finishing him. Nightcrawler gasped aloud and opened his eyes slowly as he saw the tip Logan's sharp claws at the edge of his face.

"Whew!" Nightcrawler said with a long sigh of relief.

"Bam, you lose," he replied with a growl.

"Almost got me mein freuind," said Nightcrawler with a nervous chuckle, "I thought you were going to slice me."

"I was," he replied. He grabbed him and helped him up from the ground.

"Alright," a droning voice said from above, "thus ends training sequence number seven." Suddenly, the entire swamp scenery glitched and faded away like a hologram, revealing a large open chasm-like arena; it was the danger room, the prime source of training for the X-men and its advanced students.

"That was intense as always," declared Nightcrawler.

"I take my training seriously," Logan declared; he wrenched off his mask and pulled out a large cigar, lit it up and began smoking with a relaxed sigh. Professor X and Scott entered the danger room as Nightcrawler and Logan relaxed.

"Excellent job, today gentlemen," Professor X said, "but we're still improving on the program."

"There was a glitch in that swamp sequence," explained Logan, "you should do something about that."

"We'll work on it," replied Scott, "Our student "Hardware" is working on the program to further advance it."

"Are you sure you want a child working on such advanced machinery?" asked Nightcrawler.

"He's a living computer," replied the Professor, "He'll do just fine."

Firestarter, the resident computer teacher and student counselor sat in the front of his class after a long period with Hank working on Cerebro. He read while three of his students sat in the classroom studying for the big test the next day.

"What's the answer to number three?" asked Specter a thirteen year old mutant.

"Quit cheating," replied Dash, a twelve year old speed mutant, as she covered up her study paper.

"Can't you just quickly speed around Firestarter's desk and check the answers?" he asked.

"Just because I have super-speed doesn't mean he won't catch me," replied Dash, "why don't you use **_your_** powers?"

"I can only split into two people," he argued, "I can't cheat."

"Tough!" she replied. Outside the window during the session they could barely notice a glimmering orb hovering in the sunlight clicking away taking pictures of the students.

"You can do like Hendrix once said," declared Shotgun a thin punk rocker in appearance, "You can kiss the sky!"

"Will you shut up?" asked Rift, a winged dragon-like mutant, "One: I can only glide, and two: Hendrix sucks!"

"I can't believe you just said that to my face!" argued Shotgun, "I'm hurt, I'm honestly hurt and surprised that a guy with only three fingers can count." The two sat at the crowded Mess Hall for lunch as they argued like they usually did everyday. Rift quickly turned his head as he caught sight of a silver streak zip by the windows.

"Did you see that?" asked Rift.

"See what?" asked Shotgun.

"I-I just saw something zip past the window," he explained, "It looked like a UFO or something."

Out in the campus garden Chi, an energy mutant and one of the oldest of the seniors knelt down in the grass planting small seeds into the grass, her long blonde hair falling down in front of her eyes. She wiped her face frustratingly as dirt smeared on her nose. Moss, the tall plant controlling mutant perched among the tall trees, his green skin blending within the grass, and the leaves protruding from his scalp rustled at the reaction of the greenhouse.

"What do you think?" asked Chi as she stood over them and admired her planting.

"It's just right," he replied, "I can feel the plants beginning to blossom." His feet began to extend and root into the ground slowly digging into the dirt where he settled down.

"Ah," he said in delight, "I love the cold dirt underneath my toes."

"You **_would_**," she replied, "You're a nature mutant."

"Sit with me," he offered, "it's nice." He extended his arm like a root and grabbed onto her hand slowly reeling her off the ground to his direction.

"I love Sundays," she declared, "The garden always reminds me of my home in England… it's like a home away from home."

"I know something this place has that Wales doesn't," explained Moss.

"What?" she asked.

"Phil," he replied.

"W-Wha—I—no!" she argued obviously taken aback.

"Well," he laughed, "Whenever you're ready to stop lying and admit you got it bad for him--"

"He's a teacher!" she replied

"You're practically the same age!" he declared, "We've been friends since you got here and you still can't be honest with me. Quit denying it, already."

"You're delusional," she said angrily.

"And you're a big fat liar," replied Moss.

Jean and Scott stood out on the banister watching the children play and train with one another admiring the scenery.

"Amazing," he said, "even on Sundays it's busy here."

"I love big families," she replied. Back at the danger room Beast swung along the metallic rods that coiled out like tree branches as he trained his agility and skill like he always did during the lazy weekends. Below on the ground, a young boy swept along the floor slowly, watching as Hank swung around like an ape.

"Hi, Mr. McCoy," the little boy said waving.

"Hello, Alex," he replied as he hung upside down by his legs.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Just pondering and practicing," He replied, "Its excellent workout for the mind and body."

"Can you believe they gave me sweeping duty?" he asked.

"It's a valid punishment," he replied, "Mr. Summers was very angry at you de-facing the chalkboard."

"I was just having fun," he argued.

"Yes, well, there's a certain differentiation among the lines fun and vandalism," he replied with a chuckle, "Back to work."

"Okay," Port, an electric mutant said standing in the center of the basketball field, "it's three to five, one more wins the game, do not screw up Port." He jumped up threw the ball watching as it rolled along the rim. He lifted his finger and shocked it knocking it into the net.

"Hey, no fair!" screamed Control, "That's a foul!"

"There's no rule saying you can't use your powers in basketball," argued Port.

"There is in **_this_** school," she argued crossing her arms angrily and pouting.

"Well, I needed some help from my powers, your pale skin was bothering me!" he replied.

"Shut up, your hair is so white I could barely see the ball!" she argued angrily.

"I won, get over it," he replied walking away.

"Shove it, **_Pork_**," she replied.

"It's **_Port_**!" he screamed, "P-o-r-t! Get it right!"

"Oh!" Control replied, "He can spell!"

"Let's begin," growled Logan, "Everyone better be here."

"They are," replied Firestarter as he stood beside Logan with a clipboard as they prepared for the daily intense training known as "Logan Sessions", a course of classes led by Wolverine for advanced students to train and master their powers and abilities. Logan held a remote in his hands and pressed the red button instantly accessing an obstacle course. Three of the older students pressed forward as laser guns emerged from the ground preparing to shoot.

"Okay," Firestarter said standing in front of the group of students, "Here are the rules: No tag teams, you must complete the obstacle course and dodge the obstacles; you can do this using your powers or skills, you must complete the course under five minutes or you will lose. Anything you want to add, Logan?"

"Yeah; the golden rule: He who has the claws, makes the rules. Struggle will go first," instructed Wolverine. Struggle, the pyrokinetic like mutant stepped forward and leaned down preparing to run. He wore his signature green eye patches with his eyeholes and a leather jacket that was always worn by him as good luck, something he would desperately need for Logan's training.

"Go," he replied. Struggle ran into the path as the group of laser guns emerged and began shooting rapidly at his direction. He pounced and rolled along the ground skillfully dodging the lasers shot at his body and ran as a large mace came swiping at his head. He knelt down and opened his hand forming a large fireball in the palm of his hands. He hurled it into the trees and blasted the laser gun into bits and continued darted through the obstacle path jumping into the ground and dodging discs that launched at him from afar. He looked back at the crowd of students as they cheered him on and saw Logan who watched unimpressed with his arms crossed. He instantly became distracted and lost his footing tumbling to his knees; a sphere launched from a cannon at his face in lightning speed.

"Look out!" screamed a student. Struggle shot his fireballs but it barely touched it as the ball sped through the air. Firestarter saw no other option and fired his body up bolting through the air to his rescue. Struggle staggered back in a corner as the ball quickly approached him, he shut his eyes and cringed back awaiting the impact and suddenly heard nothing but silence. He instantly noticed he was unscathed and opened his eyes to see Firestarter standing over him, the ball melting like butter in his hands.

"Geez," he said with a heavy sigh of relief.

"You have to be more careful," replied Firestarter, "That would have been your head."

"I-I got distracted," argued Struggle.

"There's no room for error in battle, kid," warned Wolverine, "When you're in the midst of a fight you have to be cautious and think fast. X-men know how to be focused in the field."

"Whatever," he replied angrily as Firestarter helped him up, "Maybe I'm not an X-man." He stormed off pushing the students to the side, angry at Wolverine's immense scolding.

"You don't think you were too hard on him?" asked Firestarter.

"How are your ribs feeling?" he asked, "We'll talk when your ribs heal from the last encounter you had with the Sentinels."

"That wasn't my fault," he argued sternly.

"Save it," replied Logan turning his back on him as he approached the rest of the students, "Whose next?"

"You okay?" asked Connor as he sat beside Struggle.

"I hate this school," he replied, "I was good out there but Logan still treats me like a kid."

"He's on the warpath today," he replied, "He gave it to me badly, too."

"It was never **_this_** tough in Ireland," explained Struggle, "and I was in a riot! I think the rioters are easier than Logan."

"Rioters are a cakewalk compared to Logan," argued Connor, "at least Rioters have better breath." They laughed aloud as they mocked Logan, venting their frustration at him.

"Yeah, rioters are taller," laughed Struggle.

"Mr. Logan ain't that bad," explained Connor, "you just have to know how to play his game."

"I managed to reach level four in the Danger Room training," said Struggle, "not many students can reach as high as four."

"Wait until you get to level three," warned Connor, "It's rough."

"How do you know?"

"I saw Mr. Summers practicing with it," he replied, "He made it look easy, but I tried it and lost within ten seconds into the sequence."

"I mean, it's not like we're ever going to be one of them," argued Struggle, "We're different. Y'know, I learned something out on the streets surviving and fending for myself; the name of the game is called: "Make it through life", except everyone is in it for themselves, and looking to do you in all at the same time. As soon as I get my degree, I'm heading as far away from this place as possible."

"You sure you want to?" asked Connor.

"Sure," he replied, "I don't have anything on my body that shows I'm a mutant, so it won't be that hard to live life in normality."

"Yeah, well good luck with that," replied Connor.

"What about you?" he asked, "Got any plans?"

"No," he replied, "I have no family I have no education yet, so I'll probably stick it out here for a couple of more years."

"Things are going to change when I'm on my own, again," declared Struggle, "People are going to know the name of Benji Murphy."

"Planning on robbing a bank?" laughed Connor.

"Very funny," he replied with a chuckle, "I'm going to go clean, not like it was in my hometown."

"I know," replied Connor, "good luck to you." He stood up and looked back as the rest of the students tested their fates in the Logan Session.

"Let's go back," offered Connor, "this time we'll win the course."

"Let's go," replied Struggle.

Above them, watching from within the trees, a small bulbous metallic orb stretched its eye piece towards their direction like a focusing camera lens. It hovered along the air with its metallic wing panels watching them from afar. Its lens' shuttered like a camera clicking photos and flew off into the air. Two young girls, both pre-teen sat beside each other in the gym watching in awe as they continued their daily routine of ogling at their crush; Primus. They stared in wide-eyed awe and longing as he trained against a robotic fighter drone.

"He's so gorgeous," remarked one of the girls.

"He's like Johnny Depp," replied her friend, "but totally younger!"

"What are you doing?" asked Primus annoyed as he looked back at them. They gasped as he caught their sight and they instantly fumbled to stand up and pretend they weren't watching him.

"I-I-I was just resting after that long, long workout," replied one of the frazzled girls as she attempted to speak.

"You just came in here ten minutes ago and sat down," he replied, "I'm part feral; I could smell your perfume, and I don't smell sweat." Primus also known as Doug Ashcroft to teachers was one of the resident hunks of the school who many of the young girls chased after. He resembled an Asian boy, but his eyes were slanted due to his animal traits he bore including his high cat-like cheek bones and patches along his chin. He was one of the best students and possibly one of the more introverted.


	3. Brood of Apocalypse Chapter Three

** CHAPTER THREE: Rising Storm**

"More kids," Logan said annoyed as he entered the gym with his tote bag. He walked past Primus who was relentlessly pounding on the punching bag. "Easy, kid, you're going to give yourself a heart attack," warned Logan as he entered the gym.

"I like to work out," replied Primus, "It's like a release."

"Don't release too much," warned Logan.

"It's cleansing," he argued, "I already mastered the rest of the equipment, and this is my last option."

"You only been here for two years," he replied, "you don't even go to class."

"What's the point of it?" asked Primus, "I got nothing or no one waiting for me outside, so why get an education when I did good before I came here."

"Yeah, you did good," replied Logan, "those scars on your face prove it." He hid the scars with his hands ashamed and angered at Logan's revelation. He knew he was right; but couldn't admit it.

"Go to class," ordered Logan, "then we'll see who has the wisdom here." He patted him on the shoulder and walked off past the gawking girls. Primus groaned in anger and suddenly looked up at the window watching a glimmering metallic orb peering at him through the window. He squinted and focused, but witnessed it dash off into the sky.

"Now, I'm seeing things," he complained.

"How you doing?" asked Firestarter as he sat down across from Struggle who was studying at a table in the library.

"Sore," he replied.

"You'll be fine," he assured him, "I've taken harder hits than that before. Just think: cracked ribs, bruised elbow, a broken wrist… man, I takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin', huh?"

"I think Mr. Logan doesn't understand how hard it is sometimes," explained Struggle, "he can be so anal retentive. I don't think he knows how hard I've had it."

"Struggle, we all had it bad," argued Firestarter, "I mean you can't walk a foot in this school without bumping into a kid that hasn't had a bad past. This is sort of like a house of lost souls or something."

"You're tellin' me," laughed Struggle.

"Look at me," he said, "My parents turned me into the Sentinels when I was twelve… it's a terrible life. Most of us here were unfortunate enough to experience hatred and anger at an early age."

"But Logan can be such an ass," argued Struggle.

"Caesar said: To test a man's true nature give him all the power," explained Firestarter.

"Yeah," replied Struggle sarcastically, "I can see how he'd relate to my situation."

"Funny," laughed Firestarter, "No, see, his friends were so scared when he gained power over Rome and feared that he might be corrupted by his powers that they killed him brutally. They took knives and ambushed him stabbing him over and over until he died."

"That's sick," exclaimed Struggle.

"What Logan and Professor X are trying to do is see that your power and amazing abilities don't corrupt you so they can be a little tough to make sure. Sure, Logan is tough and sometimes I feel like slugging him, but you should understand that he just wants to prepare you for all the hate and fear outside these walls… they're not going to be there to protect you when you're on your own."

"Haven't—you ever wished you were… normal?" asked Struggle.

"Who hasn't?" he replied with a low whisper, not wanting to cause a stir among the students, "How many of us haven't looked into the mirror and said: "God, I hate what I am", but this is what we are, this is who we are, and this is how we were made. I'd be lying if I told you I haven't thought about giving up my powers and walking out of this place. At times I want to be so normal I can taste it… but then I realize… I am normal. Everyone has their own perception of what normal is." He leaned back and spread out his arms, "This is normal."

"Make's sense," replied Struggle.

Scott, Firestarter, and Hank sat at the school café drinking coffee and discussing Logan's rash teaching methods.

"He was out of line," complained Firestarter, "something is up with him."

"What makes you think that?" asked Scott.

"He threw that Sentinel stuff in my face," he argued, "just because I didn't agree with what he did to Struggle. And he shook his confidence down a notch."

"Sometimes you just have to trust Logan's judgment," explained Hank, "he's a complex man to empathize with."

"I don't think I **_want_** to understand him," replied Firestarter.

"Logan is Logan whether you like it or not," explained Cyclops, "Sometimes he has good days and sometimes he has bad days." Scott sipped his coffee and cringed in disgust, "Damn, the coffee's cold already," he complained.

"It's the fall," replied Hank.

"Want me to heat it up for you?" asked Firestarter reaching his finger out.

"Uh, no thanks," replied Scott pulling his cup away quickly, "remember what happened last time?"

"Oh, yeah," Firestarter laughed embarrassed, "I didn't know tin could explode from heat that quickly. Good thing you were wearing your glasses or else you might have burned your eyes."

In a wide open field Apocalypse stood in the center awaiting his drone to return. The drone zipped down from the air and onto Apocalypses large hand. He held his palm open and watched as the drone landed in front of him. The drone clicked and projected a three-dimensional image of the chosen students talking with each other, it snapped through a slideshow of different pictures as Apocalypse observed them and liked what he saw. "Ah," thought Apocalypse as he observed the picture, "Such potential for the young ones." The three-dimensional holographic picture rotated around him as he observed with great admiration and fascination. "Begin attack," he ordered.

Scott felt a tug at his shirt and looked to his side as one of the young students attempted to grab his attention.

"Mr. Summers?" asked the little girl.

"Something wrong?" asked Scott.

"What's that?" asked the wide-eyed girl looking up in the sky in confusion. The three instantly looked up into the sky and noticed three robotic androids in a line hovering along the air. They weren't Sentinels; they were too small to be, they were soldiers, androids who were entirely silver and bore skull-like appearance along their face, their large red eyes glimmering as their teeth clenched tight. All the students that were on the field were fixated on the three robotic warriors who didn't attack but simply hovered like stone, their eyes fixated ahead.

They all stood up in unison and glared in amazement at the three hovering robots from above.

"What the heck **_ is_** that?" asked Firestarter in horror.

"I don't know," replied Scott, "but keep your guard up." Scott tapped his X-symbol and called the team, "All senior members of the X-men we have a Code Red, I repeat we have a code red, be on guard and approach the field with caution."

"What do we do?" asked Firestarter.

"Get the children off the field," instructed Henry, "If they attack we wouldn't want to risk any injuries."

"Got it," he replied. He rushed out onto the field and began gathering the children who continued glaring upward.

"Okay, everybody can remain calm," Firestarter declared, "I want everyone to get inside the mansion slowly in an orderly fashion and without using your powers."

"What's going on?" asked a child.

"Don't be concerned," replied Hank, "Step inside immediately." The sky stirred furiously as if the gods discovered what was about to happen; the clouds stirred blanketing the suns rays and forming a black blanket on the ground. The children began running inside the house, never wanting to look up, afraid at the three soldier's presence. Finally, the children scattered inside, the loud murmurs arising within the confines of the lobby as Firestarter watched among everyone.

"What now?" he asked to Scott.

"I want you to lead them to the hidden safe rooms like we did in the drills," he instructed, "We'll handle them if there's an attack."

"Got it," he replied.

"Protect them," ordered Scott sternly, "Don't be afraid to use your powers."

"Consider it done," replied Firestarter. Out on the banister Jean and the professor rushed out to see the three metallic robots hovering still as stone.

"What are they?" she asked.

"I haven't a clue," replied the professor with a tone of dread and fear in his voice, "but they don't give the impression of being sociable."

Logan drew his claws from his knuckles and stood out in the center of the yard looking up as Nightcrawler teleported beside him.

"What do you think they are?" asked Nightcrawler.

"I don't know," replied Logan, "but be ready to battle."

"Way ahead of you," replied Nightcrawler.

"They're not attacking yet," replied Scott, "that's a plus."

"It's the quietest of antagonists that are the largely lethal," replied Hank.

"I can't argue with that theory," replied Scott.

"Hurry!" ordered Firestarter as the children rushed into the hidden wall panel by the crowds. He watched as they rushed into the room and instantly noticed something was not right.

"Someone's missing," he muttered, "Who's missing?!"

"Connor and Struggle!" replied Moss.

"Damn!" muttered Firestarter, "Moss, I want you to keep these kids safe."

"Where are you going?" asked Chi grabbing his arm.

"I have to get them!" he replied, "They're going to get killed if I don't."

"Hurry back!" replied Moss.

He darted into the halls and ran along the corridors hoping he'd catch the students before anything happened; he knew he was pressed on time and headed out the back door not wanting to start a war outside. Out in the field Professor X watched the three soldiers as they stood as still as stone. "Try to make contact with them," asked Jean. The professor placed his fingertips at the side of his head and focused with his attempt at reaching them telepathically.

"I am Professor X, you are trespassing at my home," he explained telepathically, "Please state your business or leave us be." Suddenly after a moment of silence, the robots lowered their heads to the Professor, their eyes glowing bright red.

"You are Professor X," replied the robot in a deep droning proclamation, "We have orders."

Their eyes suddenly began glowing in a bright orange peering at the mutants who faced them off.

"Look out!" Jean warned.

"Oh, boy," Scott said horrified, snapping his visor on, "here we go." A blast emerged from their eyes slamming into the ground knocking Logan and Nightcrawler to the sides, the explosion knocked the wind out of Logan who gained his balance and displayed his claws in anger. Like an army they charged at the robots, Cyclops blasting them in their metallic chests as they threw plasma balls at them rapidly. Beast flung off the table and leapt into the air bouncing and dodging the rapid attack of energy balls.

The two other robots took the cue from the leader and began shooting rapidly around at the team. One shot at the professor but it reflected off a psychic shield from Jean. Angered, Jean hovered off the banister and telepathically tore a large tree from the ground and hurled it at the robots. The tree slammed into the robots knocking them off the air, the robots instantly revealed a saw in his hand and sliced through the tree's trunk instantly. The robots spread and dashed onto the ground like fighter jets swinging at them like lightning as they quickly jumped back at their attacks.

"Spread out!" ordered the Cyclops, "Take battle positions and be cautious."

"Don't gotta tell me twice blue boy," replied Wolverine, "Let's make scrap metal outta their hides!"

The halls of the school were now desolate and nothing but the sounds of Firestarter racing through the corridors as fast as possible could be heard. He raced, panting heavily as he attempted to make it to the back door. He finally stopped at a corner and looked down at the open entrance; he looked out the window and saw two of the robotic drones slowly creeping down onto Struggle and Connor who were unaware of their presence. Firestarter shrugged, took steps back and seeing no other recourse raced along the hall and in an instant sent his body crashing through the window in a feat of will. He began to fall but instantly gained his balance as he began to fly up in the air; from below Struggle and Connor watched in confusion and horror as they witnessed his stunt.

"Behind you!" screamed Firestarter, "Look out!" They turned and staggered back as the robotic drones landed in front of their eyes pointing large cannons to their faces.

"Come quietly or risk injury," warned a drone.

"Never went quietly before," struggle said creating a fireball, "not going quietly now." He blasted the drones into oblivion and crept back as the smoke cleared showing the robot standing with a large gaping hole in the center of his body. Suddenly its chest began mending itself like liquid metal, quickly healing.

"What's going on?" asked Struggle.

"No more time for questions," replied Connor. He formed two large swords from his hand fully mastering his mutant ability and went into battle position, "we have to fight."

In an instant they attacked the drones with all their might and power as Firestarter came crashing down from below hurling fireballs and blasting them with his power. The robots looked up and formed a protective shield around them from his powerful blasts and sent a small projectile that sped into the air and clashed into Firestarter's chest exploding upon contact. The shockwaves from the blast launched him through the window again as Struggle and Connor watched in disappointment and fear.

"We're on our own," said Connor.

"Just how I like it; all that training wasn't for nothing," replied Struggle, "we can take them."

"It's do or die time," declared Connor. Firestarter lay unconscious on the floor in front of the window, his chest smoking from the hard blast. Primus had no idea what was happening as he stepped out from the gym and saw him lying unconscious.

He ran to him and felt for a pulse along his neck; satisfied that he was alive, he rushed to the window to see Connor and Struggle fighting for their lives against the robots.

"What's happening?" asked the two girls as they followed him out of the gym.

"Run," Primus turned to them and instantly sensed what was happening, "Find someone to help. There's a safe room somewhere down the hall; hide there until everything dies down."

"B-but—"

"Go, now!" he commanded. They ran down the halls as Primus tore off his jacket and perched on the window sill. Without caution he leapt off the window and dived down onto the field crashing onto the robot.

Shotgun and Dash sat beside each other at the library with their headphones on as they went over their daily study sessions on the computer, they could barely hear the commotion outside or notice the battle taking place. Dash took off her headphones and leaned back in exhaustion.

"Oh, man," she said groaning in fatigue, "I been looking at these computer screens for hours. My eyes are about to burst like grapes." She peeked over at Shotgun who didn't notice her talking due to the loud volume on the headphones. "Uh- Shotgun- Shotgun?" she asked. She sighed and looked around at the empty quiet room, "You're hair is ugly," she said to him with a laugh, "You smell like beef." She laughed and watched his sheer daze.

"You smell worse," he replied as she gasped in surprise. 

"I thought you couldn't hear me?" she asked.

"I **_couldn't_** but I heard the beef comment," he replied with a smirk.

"It's like a desert in here," she declared looking around at the empty desks and chairs, "You think they'd notice if we cut class?" He turned to her with a mischievous smile, "Let's go to the mall." All of a sudden the wall burst with a large blast knocking the two students off their chairs. Concrete and brick pieces rained upon the two as they watched in shock. Suddenly, two robotic drones hovered into the room, their large blaster guns stick out in their fronts.

"Come quietly or risk injury," warned a drone.

"Man!" Shotgun said in surprise, "The school security is rough here!"

"I don't think they're hall monitors from the school, Shotgun," warned Dash as she lurched back in fear.

"Okay, uh—what do we do?" asked Shotgun nervously as he tore off the headphones.

"I-I don't know," she replied stammering as the drones slowly approached them, "this type of stuff isn't in the school brochure, of course there **_isn't_** a school brochure."

"Come quietly or risk injury," warned the drone again.


	4. Brood of Apocalypse Chapter Four

** CHAPTER FOUR: Survival**

"They're gaining on us," said Dash in fright.

"Only one thing we can do," explained Shotgun, "fight our way out."

"I-I-I never fought anything like that before," replied Dash, "And I'm not much of a fighter… I just run **_really fast_**."

"Well, now's the time to try it out," replied Shotgun, "I'm not waiting until they get the first shot in." He held his hand in front of him and created the form of a gun with his fingers about to expose his mutant ability. With a split second of thought he shot and a large explosion blasted through the air knocking a hole through the robots' chest like a gun. He pointed at them again and blasted knocking them out of the room. He stood victorious watching as the robot stood up their metal chests healing like liquid.

"They're getting back up," warned Dash in fright.

"I can see that, Dash," replied Shotgun in fright, his eyes wide in fear.

"What's plan B?" she asked.

"Get us out of here with your super speed and run like your ass is on fire," he replied. She turned, he put his arms around her shoulder and in a flash she ran like a bolt of lightning past the androids who barely noticed their escape. They sped through the trees like a flash, when suddenly they crashed and tumbled into a large shield; they shrieked in horror as surges of electricity burst through their body. They fell to the ground, their backs smoking from the shock as the androids quickly approached them.

Back at the yard, Connor and Struggle could barely notice the help they were receiving from Primus who fought off one of the drones pushing the blaster from his face into the robots stomach blasting wildly.

"Primus, look out!" screamed Struggle. The robot aimed at him and shot, but it was too late, he leapt off the ground and dodged the shot as the robot staggered back from the hit. Primus leapt around them and continued fighting furiously. The robot shot at the three wildly, a shot blasted into Connor's shoulder knocking him off his feet.

"No!" screamed Struggle.

"Get him out of here," commanded Primus, "I'll hold them off!"

"I-I'm okay," muttered Connor who held his shoulder, "we can fight off these two; it's three against two. They're outnumbered."

The robots stood across from the three warriors as they pointed their blaster cannons at them. Suddenly a loud humming arose from within the air blasting the trees with its immense winds. The three staggered back phased at the strong wind and looked up to a horrific sight. The robotic soldiers had now tripled in numbers and descended down onto them like bees to a nest. They looked around attempting to configure their odds but it was useless, there were literally dozens upon them, and they would be killed in an instant.

"What now?" asked Connor, "**_we're _**the outnumbered ones, now."

"There's so many of them," marveled Struggle.

"Seventeen," replied Primus scoping the situation, "they're packing some good weapons."

"We can't quit," argued Connor.

"One thing I learned in Ireland," explained Struggle, "Is when you're outnumbered you gotta know when you're beaten." Struggle put his hands in the air, as did Primus, and then Connor.

"Come quietly or risk injury," warned a robot.

"We'll come quietly," muttered Primus.

"What do they want with us?" asked Struggle.

"I don't know," replied Connor, "but one thing is for sure: we're not making it back home." They walked in a line and held their hands up as the robot soldiers led them into the woods. They bore no expressions of concern or fear, but simply wore blank expressions, they knew their fates were sealed when they surrendered and they accepted it.

"These things can heal themselves!" screamed Cyclops as he hid behind the toppled table. Wolverine crouched beside him dodging the blasts as Hank and Nightcrawler lay along the ground out cold from the battle.

"We're sitting ducks here!" growled Wolverine, "we gotta figure something out."

"But what?" asked Cyclops. They were outnumbered and out maneuvered in the field, and little did they know that as they fought valiantly, something was amidst at the mansion as Shotgun and Dash, now out cold, were being hauled off along the shoulders of the robot warrior after a short battle with their soldiers. Wolverine picked up a mug from the floor in his hand and looked a Scott who looked on curiously.

"Blast 'em when I launch the mug," he instructed him. He hurled it into the air causing the robots to aim at the projectile blasting it to shreds. While they became distracted Cyclops stood up tore off his visor and with a moment of unrelenting rage zapped the three soldiers to kingdom come, his optic blasts pulsating from his eyes at full capacity as slowly their metallic armor broke apart. Wolverine ran onto the field and began sliding the unconscious Hank and Kurt to the side out of range of the battle.

"You think you can heal? Try healing from this!" Scott pressed on the unforgiving force of his optic blast tearing through their armor like cheap glass. He finally closed his eyes and put on his visor as the three burning robots crashed onto the ground, their bodies ripped apart at the seams.

Wolverine stood over the malfunctioning android wreckage as it squirmed along the grass, its wires ripped from its cords hurling sparks.

"It's about time," complained Logan.

"Who… or what were they?" asked Cyclops as he hunched over the wreckage.

"They were strong," replied Jean, "We could barely catch them off-guard."

"Somebody or something wanted us dead," replied Cyclops.

"No," replied the professor as he approached the android head that lay along the grass, "they were exceptionally skillful and powerful; I assume if they wanted us dead, they would have already killed us."

"Why were they here, then?" asked Cyclops.

"And who could have sent them?" asked Jean.

"There's a list of people a hundred miles wide who'd like to take us out," replied Wolverine, "something ain't sittin' right with me." Wolverine approached the safe room and tore off the doors as the crowds of kids huddled together in fright.

"Mr. Logan!" a child called.

"Alright, everybody out," ordered Cyclops.

"Where's firestarter?" asked Jean.

"He went to go help Connor and Struggle," explained Moss, "he never came back."

"Scott and Logan, you should search for Firestarter or any other students who may have been caught in the crossfire," instructed the professor, "Jean and I will take care of the students and tend to Henry and Kurt; and be cautious, we're not sure if those androids were acting alone."

"Got it," replied Cyclops. They scoured the empty halls cautiously, Logan with his claws out, and Cyclops with his hand at his visor. They saw Firestarter's body in front of the smashed window, his chest scolded black. Scott tended to him and felt for his pulse as Logan peeked out the window.

"Luckily, he's alive," replied Cyclops, "he's badly hurt, though."

"Looks like there was another war happening out here," replied Logan as he inspected the scenery. He sniffed heavily honing his senses, "Motor Oil… they were here…I think Connor and Struggle fought them off and lost."

"I'm assuming he tried to protect them but was ambushed as well," replied Cyclops, "What do you think happened to them?"

"One of two things," explained Logan, "Either they were fried or kidnapped."

"Why would those things take two kids?" he asked.

"Got no clue," replied Logan.

"This is highly unnatural," explained Hank as Jean wrapped bandages around his wounds. He sat at the stretcher in the campus hospital as Kurt lay beside him in a bed.

"That's an understatement," replied Jean.

"We must discover the source of those androids," explained Hank, "I sense there will be another attack very soon."

The Professor held the detached Android head in his hands peering into its eyes curiously. He was wracked with curiosity to their origin and could barely focus on anything else.

"Those things weren't from Magneto," Hank observed.

"Maybe… you could try to reach the one who might have sent them?" asked Jean to the professor.

"I could try," he replied holding the skull-like robotic face to his, "let's pray for answers." He closed his eyes and focused intensely as he attempted to psychically discover the android's source. Suddenly like an explosion, a psychic blast crashed through his head. He groaned aloud and dropped the skull as he was able to conjure one image of the culprit, the gleaming and horrifying eyes of his worst fear; Apocalypse.

"Oh, no," muttered the professor in horror.

"What is it?" asked Jean.

"Apocalypse." They sat across one another in the conference room, the computer screens flickering behind them.

"What information have we received so far?" asked Beast.

"This was apocalypse's doing," explained the professor, "he sent the android soldiers, and launched the attack on the campus."

"It was all a diversion," replied Cyclops, "the attack on us was a distraction."

"Distraction from what?" asked Jean.

"While we duked it out with those flying toasters, some other soldiers spread out around the campus," explained wolverine, "They kidnapped five of our students."

"Which ones?" asked Hank.

"Connor Jenson, Struggle, Primus, Dash, and Shotgun," replied Scott, "From what we've gathered they put up quite a fight. The yard and library were in shambles, evidently from their attacks."

"Apocalypse is now collecting children?" asked Jean.

"It would seem so," replied Hank, "but what we've yet to establish are his motives and intentions for kidnapping them and what he intends to do with them."

"It's safe to assume they're not dead," explained Cyclops, "but for now we need to think of some way to get them back."

"That is something we should think of when we're fully recuperated," explained the professor.

"Professor, if we intend on getting them back I think we should act quick," argued Scott.

"We intend on rescuing them," declared Hank, "But I agree with the professor. Our minds and bodies are exhausted we have two of our colleagues badly wounded, and a group of children who are scared and confused."

"Tomorrow we will begin our plans," the professor instructed, "As of this moment we should rest and enter into this with a fresh mind first thing in the morning."

Everyone left the room, murmurs and talks scattered among them as Scott continued to stand at the table angered and frustrated at the professor's decision.

"This is not how we should do things," argued Scott angrily, "Apocalypse has a plan and we need to act quickly."

"We need to think of a plan," explained Jean as she consoled him, "If we attack him with our guns blazing, we'll lose."

"They're just kids," complained Scott, "What would he do with five young kids?"

"We're trying to figure it out," replied Jean, "For now we should sleep."

Meanwhile at the dorms, the children who could barely comprehend what was happening with the X-men sat along their beds thinking and discussing, but some were so quiet they could barely breathe.

"What do you think is happening to them, right now?" asked Chi as she slipped into bed.

"I don't know," replied Moss, "I hope they're alright."

"We have to think positive," Chi explained, "they're probably thinking about home right now."

"I'm scared," said Moss, "What if the same thing that happened to them happens to us?"

"We'll be alright," she replied consoling him, "we can watch each other."

"Wow," said Ratfink, a brown furry mutant who was rat-like in appearance and form, "this place is like a funeral home." He dropped his trench coat along the headboard of the bunk-bed and leapt onto the top bunk, his pink tail waving behind him.

"Five people are missing," explained Specter, "I don't think any one is up for talking."

"Who's this Apocalypse everyone is talking about?" he asked.

"Apocalypse?" asked Specter.

"Yeah," he replied, "There's a rumor spreading around campus that some guy called apocalypse kidnapped Struggle and the others."

"I don't know," replied Specter, "but classes are cancelled tomorrow because of what happened."

"If I wasn't so sad I'd be dancing from joy," replied Ratfink with a grin.

"Me too," replied Specter as he slipped into his bed, "Remember to take your baseball cap off before you go to sleep."

"I know," he replied taking off his cap as he placed it on the headboard, "you don't have to tell me mommy." Specter reached over to the lamp and shut it off, lying exhaustedly on his bed. No matter how much they kidded themselves they couldn't sleep that night. Ratfink the usual jokester of the school and Specter just lied in their beds looking up at the dark ceiling, thinking and worrying about their friend's well being.

"I used to fight with Dash, a lot," said "Insomniac" a young Asian girl as she untied her hair.

"**_Used _**to?" asked Rift, "You're talking about them like they're dead."

"What if they are?" she asked brushing her long black hair, "what if that Apocalypse guy killed them on sight?"

"If that guy wanted to kill them he would have," argued Rift, "he's doing something with them, and I just wish I knew what."

"Apocalypse is just a rumor, anyways," she complained laughing it off, "I think he's some ogre created by the young kids in the school."

"You know, for a girl with purple colored eyes, you're awfully blind," replied Rift, "Apocalypse is real, one time I snuck into the computer room and went through the files and read up on him."

"Really?" she asked in amazement sitting beside him, "How did he look?"

"Well," he explained with dread, "If Struggle and the others planned on fighting him when they confronted him, then they're most definitely dead."

"Wow," she replied stunned, her eyes wide from shock. She stood up and staggered over to her bed, "Thanks for making me feel better," she said sarcastically.

"You're welcome," he replied snapping the lamp off.

"This blows," declared an angry Lykechu, a young girl whose hair was now dark red temporarily due to her powers which enabled her hair to change colors constantly. She lay in bed looking up at the ceiling across from Puck who also did the same. The room was dark yet they couldn't sleep.

"I know," replied Puck, a mutant whose powers involved physical feats of strength and agility.

"Are Struggle and the others alright?" she asked.

"I don't know," replied Puck.

"Are the teachers and the rest planning on getting them back?" she asked.

"No," replied Puck, "the professor is letting them fend for their own."

"What?!" she asked angrily, sitting up from her bed.

"Just kidding," he replied with a chuckle.

"That's not funny," she argued dropping her head on the pillow.

"Will you relax?" he said with a laugh, "they're on the case, beside, I don't know what's going to happen."

"Do you think they're dead?" she asked.

"I don't know," he replied blankly.

"Is school still on tomorrow?"

"I don't know."

"What **_do_** you know?" she asked.

"I know that I'm really tired and if you don't shut up and stop asking me questions I might go over there and beat you to death with this pillow!" He slammed his head onto his pillow and turned over with an angry grunt.

"You know I can slam your body through that wall if I wanted to," she whined, "I'm a telepath I can do that."

"And I'm ve - ry scared," he replied sarcastically, "can you please go to sleep, now?"


	5. Brood of Apocalypse Chapter Five

**CHAPTER FIVE: Search and Destroy**

The professor sat among the long plank of Cerebro that extended out to the center of the gigantic super-computer. He sat on his wheelchair in front of the computer, the detection helmet on his head as he attempted to hone in on the genetic signatures from the students who were now in the custody of Apocalypse. The computer finally shut down, and he placed the helmet on the podium as the doors slid open revealing Beast and Jean who awaited a response from him. He leaned against the podium mentally fatigued as Jean and Beast tended to him.

"What's the development?" asked Beast.

"I've caught their signatures," he explained, "but I cannot pinpoint their precise location."

"You have to rest, professor," warned Jean, "you're tired."

"I must keep trying," he replied panting, "I don't know what Apocalypse may be doing with them."

"Let me go!" screamed Primus as he fought with two robotic soldiers from Apocalypse. He struggled and fought as they carried him along the hall, "Let me go!" he screamed desperately. They stood him up in a large tube and the door instantly slid down shut trapping him. He slammed his fist against the glass but could barely fight his way out of the solid surface. His screams were muffled by the soundproof glass that covered him. Suddenly, the tube began filling up with green liquid that rapidly engrossed and covered his body. He fought desperately, scratching his cat-like claws against the glass as finally he froze within the liquid, his desperate attempts all in vain. Beside him stood Dash and Shotgun who were also frozen in the cryostasis liquid and displayed beside each other like trophies.

"What did you do to them?!" screamed Connor who witnessed Primus' fate.

"Do not be concerned," warned Apocalypse as he hovered along the air past Connor and Struggle who watched in horror, "your friends are in cryostasis slumber for the time being. They are fully conscious but immobile physically." He turned to Struggle who sneered at him angrily, "Your fate will be akin to theirs shortly."

"Why don't you let us go and take us on," asked Struggle angrily, "Let's see if you're as almighty and powerful as you act."

"You're indeed resilient and forthright my young captive," he said staring into his eyes with sheer intimidation, "It is a trait I most admire, but you're power is in no way comparable to my own."

"Why don't you let me find out for myself?" he asked anxiously, "Come on. You gonna bark all day little doggie, or are you gonna bite?"

"Struggle, stop--!" warned Connor.

"--You're rapidly sealing your fate, child," Apocalypse warned, "I would easily eradicate you if I didn't have a use for you." Apocalypse turned to admire his trophies as suddenly Struggle powered up his fists and blasted the robots into shreds. He fell to the ground and rapidly began blasting Apocalypse in the back with his powerful fireballs. A loud explosion arose as smoke began to stir amidst the fire. Struggle finally stopped and rested as smoke and rubble enveloped the room.

"I… did it," he said admiring his victory.

"Fool," a voice droned from within the dusk and smoke. Suddenly, Apocalypse arose from the smoke, his body growing ever larger towering over Struggle who watched in horror. "None a mortal man have had the force or the capacity to destroy me!" he commanded grabbing Struggle like a figurine. Struggle cried out in pain as Apocalypse held him in his grip tightly, "I could crush you like the pathetic bug that you are," he warned. Struggle groaned in pain as Apocalypse turned to the cells and tossed him violently into it. Struggle slammed against the wall and fell to his knees as the liquid quickly overflowed the cell freezing him like a statue. Apocalypse now shrunk down to normal size and peered at Connor who watched in sadness.

"Into the Cell with him!" ordered Apocalypse. He didn't fight back or wrestle with the robots as they carried him into the cell and dropped him onto the floor where the glass instantly slid shut. He stood up attempting to show no fear, gleaming into Apocalypses eyes angrily as the liquid overflowed and froze him instantly.

"Strong and resilient ones they are," Apocalypse observed as he walked along the displays, "I have chosen well."

Jean and Scott walked into the campus hospital as nurses attended to Kurt and Firestarter who were injured.

"What are the results?" asked Scott.

"Kurt has a concussion," explained Jean, "But he'll be fine, Firestarter is hurt badly and they don't think he'll wake up anytime soon."

"Oh, man," groaned Scott sadly, "What do we tell the kids? They've been waiting for him to wake up."

"Tell them the truth," replied Jean, "it's the only thing we can do right now except pray for him to wake up."

"Meanwhile, Apocalypse is hidden somewhere and we're trying to pinpoint his exact location," explained Scott, "The professor has been working himself tirelessly just to reach the kids who were kidnapped."

"Didn't he find them already?" asked Jean.

"Yes," he replied, "but if we find the kids we find Apocalypses location; it seems he's built a mental block from the professor that he can't break."

"I'm scared what condition we'll find them in if we ever find them," said Jean.

"They're alive," replied Scott, "That's some hope we can hold onto."

"Do you really think we can take on Apocalypse alone?" asked Logan as he walked into the hospital observing Firestarter who lay among the stretcher, his face covered with wires, "We never been able to beat him before, what makes you so sure we're gonna beat him this time?"

"We have to try," argued Scott, "We have so much to lose if we let him win."

"We **_always_** have something to lose," replied Logan.

"Right now we have a lot of scared and confused children who are waiting to hear from us," explained Jean.

"After you," replied Scott. At cerebro, the professor sat silently and still among the platform as he wore the psychic helmet and focused intently and vigorously on Apocalypses location. Sweat dripped along his head as he continued focusing, his head throbbed from the strenuous work. He could see a muddled image before his eyes, a leaky abandoned stadium-like dome which was empty upon first glance but guarded with his heavily armed robotic drones that watched upon every corner, their beaming red eyes peering upon him. He could see Apocalypse sitting upon his throne transcendently as he looked down upon his army. "What are you planning?" whispered the professor as he attempted to picture his secret base, "What would you want with innocent children?"

He gasped aloud, his eyes opening wide in amazement as he finally discovered the answer he'd been looking for. "At last!" he muttered.

"How are you feeling?" asked Scott as he observed Kurt who staggered along the hall.

"Tired," he replied with an almost angry serpentine hiss, "and angry."

"We **_all _ **are," replied Logan.

"Where is Jean?" asked Kurt.

"She's explaining to the students what's happening," replied Scott, "they're taking firestarter's news badly."

"Professor!" Scott said as he saw him wheeling down the hall, "Is everything alright?"

"I know where Apocalypse is hiding," explained the professor with much urgency, "He is at the old observatory in Tuscan, Arizona."

"What's he planning?" asked Logan.

"That is something I've yet to establish," replied the professor, "but we know where he is."

"We'll sneak in through the back and attack by surprise," suggested Cyclops, "he probably won't expect us."

"Wait--" replied Kurt, "What is this is all a set-up? What if we enter his nest and end up being ambushed?"

"That is a risk we must take," replied the professor.

"We'll start up the blackbird and leave immediately," instructed Cyclops.

"Let's do it," declared Logan. At the campus hospital three of the students stood among Firestarter's body watching and hoping he would awaken to be with them.

"Is he dying?" asked Specter.

"I don't know," replied Lykechu, "but he's in bad shape."

"I can't believe he did such a stupid thing," said Chi wiping tears from her face.

"He was trying to save us," argued Moss, "He put himself on the line for us, he was trying to save Struggle and the others, so shut your mouth and show some respect!"

"Relax, okay?" replied Chi angrily, "I didn't mean anything by it. I'm worried about him, too."

"I know what you meant," replied Moss. He turned and stormed out of the room pushing the kids to the side.

"Gee, what are you and Moss going to do at his funeral if he dies?" asked Ratfink, "Wrestle, kick box?"

"Enough with the jokes, Ratfink," ordered Chi.

"I never agreed to that," replied Ratfink.

"Can't you be serious for one second?" argued Chi.

"I'm afraid to," he replied, "If I stop joking I might squabble like an immature little kid, but you and Moss seem to have the monopoly on that, lately."

"You're such an ass," she replied pushing him back as she stormed off. He looked back and realized only him, Specter, and Lykechu were in the room.

"It's quieter now," replied Ratfink, "don't you think?"

A thunderous whirring emerged from among the halls of the campus as the students flocked to the windows watching the campus basketball court suddenly rise higher and higher. A jet engine roared like a lion and within a split second the Blackbird blasted off into the sky, the rockets bursting.

"Where do you think they're going?" asked Ratfink as they looked out the window.

"I wish I knew," replied Lykechu.

"What's the E.T.A. for Tuscan, Arizona?" asked Scott.

"At our current speed, two and a half hours," replied Hank, "But If we hit Mach five, maybe an hour." Scott sat at the cockpit flying the Black Bird as Hank sat at the co-pilot's chair. Kurt and Logan sat at the passenger's seats, focused and determined on achieving their mission.

The students turned quickly as Jean entered the hospital room, they instantly approached her for questions.

"What's happening?" asked Specter.

"They're headed on a routine mission," explained Jean, "You three should head back to the dorms and give Firestarter time to relax."

"Who's going to supervise now that Mr. Vargas is in a coma?" asked Port.

"**_I _** will," she replied, "everything is going to be alright." As they left, Specter looked back at Firestarter sadly, desperately hoping he would awaken any minute.

The three walked into the Mess Hall where the students gathered for lunch; it was much quieter, and than also not as busy as it usually was. They could barely ignore the tension that was amidst in the air.

"Did you see the blackbird?" asked a student to Lykechu, "What's going on?"

"I don't know," she replied sitting down at the table, "They told us it's just a routine mission or something, but I don't buy it. I think they went to look for Struggle and the others."

"Why would they keep it from us?" asked a Port.

"They don't want anyone tagging along," replied Meltdown, one of the senior students of the school, "it's so obvious."

"Why would they think we'd tag along?" asked Chi.

"Well, ask yourself something," explained Meltdown, "wouldn't you want to find the guy who kidnapped them? I know **_I _**would."

"I would, too," replied Moss.

"Why don't we?" asked Specter.

"Are you insane?" asked Ratfink as he sat beside them, "Half of us can barely control our powers, what makes you think we can go to some secret base and fight some almighty super-mutant? He'd have us for lunch."

"So we just sit here and wait for them to throw us a bone and let us in on the plans?" asked Chi.

"All we **_can_**do, _'Aura Girl'_," replied Ratfink, "I for one won't risk getting my tail fried."

"Pretty rational thinking for a guy whose been eating garbage most of his life," joked Meltdown.

"We have other things to worry about, for now," replied Port.

"Like what?" asked Meltdown.

"Finals," he replied, "Acing Logan's obstacle course. I know it all seems so pointless now, but we should really be working on this. Because once this is all over, things go back to normal."

"I'm not working on anything until our friends come back without a scratch on them," replied Specter.

"We have to, shorty," replied Ratfink.

"It will keep our minds busy," Port assured him.

It was safe to assume most of the students wanted vengeance for the kidnapping of their friends, especially the older students, but as they huddled as a group, doubt as well as fear lingered among them, though no one actually brought it up. The blackbird stopped to a screeching halt and began hovering in mid-air stirring up the trees and dirt from below; its large shadow loomed down onto the gravel.

"We are at ground zero," declared Scott, "Precisely two miles from the target point."

"We have visuals," replied Hank, "Begin landing." The black bird gently descended down upon the green land as the rockets began to lock down.

"Okay," said Scott, "Let's do it." The lower hatch opened as Scott and Hank walked onto the grass looking out onto the open land; Kurt teleported instantly with Wolverine, instantly scouring and looking for danger.

Wolverine sniffed heavily in the air and looked around. The group pressed on and began hiking down the hills into the forest.

"It's quiet," Logan observed, "Too quiet considering Apocalypse is nearby."

"Beast and Kurt get us overhead visuals and survey the area," ordered Scott, "Logan and I will set out on foot." Beast leapt into the air grappling a tree branch and began swinging like an ape as Nightcrawler teleported.

"I smell grease and motor oil," observed Logan, "The base is nearby."

"Be on the look out," replied Scott, "Apocalypse has something in hand for us." Beast swung among the trees slowly, never losing a step as Kurt teleported among the branches behind him.

"I forgot how much I missed the fresh woodland air," said Beast.

"Tis a peaceful area," replied Kurt, "Very much reminds me of a church, though our journey has just begun; any words of wisdom?"

"None at the moment," replied Beast, "For once I am at a loss for words as I stare in the face of evil."

"I fear that evil just may succeed this time," said Nightcrawler, "Our friend has been hurt badly and five of our children taken."

"Even heroes experience arduous times," replied Beast, "but its best we remain focused and united."

"There!" said Nightcrawler as he pointed ahead. Beast turned and saw a large dome-like silver mass in the center of the woods. Beast tapped his X-symbol, "Scott, we are approaching Apocalypses base," he said.

"What's the status?" asked Scott.

"It's quiet," replied Nightcrawler, "But I think he may soon greet us with aggressive forces."

"Not on our watch," replied Wolverine as he drew his metallic claws.

"Be careful," Scott instructed.

They reached the front of the dome and observed it as they stood side by side, "There's no entrance," said Nightcrawler.

"Then we'll make one," replied Wolverine. He slashed his claws into the metal and drew his blades across the surface creating a large opening. Cyclops blew it open with his optic blast bursting it off onto the floor.

"I walked right into that one, didn't I?" asked Nightcrawler to Beast as they looked on in amazement. They slowly stepped into the dark entrance, only the crimson glow of Cyclops' optic visor glimmering in the darkness as the dust from the blast settled. They pressed on into the dome and continued walking until the opening slowly became smaller and smaller by the minute.

Finally they stopped at a dimly lit hallway and continued walking as they finally reached the end of the hallway. The hall was mostly darkened by pipes that led around the ceilings of the halls constantly, the distant sound of hissing rising as water leaked along the floors. Their footsteps could be heard like thunder through the darkness, only the red glow of Scott's optic eye wear spawning light upon them. They entered the end of the hallway and halls stopped as they entered a large dark opening. Suddenly a bright spotlight burst upon the group; they instantly grouped together as they peered as the bright red eyes peering back at them from the darkness.

"It's a trap!" screamed Wolverine.


	6. Brood of Apocalypse Chapter Six

**CHAPTER SIX: Seven Nation Army**

"Spread out!" ordered Cyclops. They instantly scurried into the separate corners as the lights now shone onto them, an army of androids descending onto them with their guns pointed at them. Nightcrawler bounced behind Wolverine looking out onto the army of metallic faces that were ready to destroy them at the drop of a dime. "What do you suggest we do now?" asked Nightcrawler. "Cold cock the next one that tries to fry you and make 'em sing for their supper," instructed Wolverine. He leapt off the ground and crashed into an android slashing mercilessly into their metal chests, Scott instantly began rolling skillfully along the ground, the blasts from the robots whizzing past him. 

He crouched down onto the ground and dodged the blasts from the robots, "I've seen yours," he replied, "Now here is mine!" He tapped his visor and within a split second his optic blast burst frying the androids before his eyes. He ran and pressed on blasting them one after the other without effort. Nightcrawler scampered along the walls like a spider and hopped along the rafters as the androids pursued him blasting relentlessly.

"Come on," said Nightcrawler, "Follow me!" He finally stopped and perched atop a rafter crouching and waiting as the androids approached him. He looked to his opposite side and could see more androids approaching. They each blasted at him in unison and in one quick motion, he teleported into thin air, as they shot each other rapidly.

Beast let out a might roar as he pounced down onto the robots tossing them aside and breaking them in two as they blasted him never able to shoot him as he dodged their attacks with swift leaps off the ground.

"There's too much of them," said Nightcrawler as he dodged the attacks from the androids.

"I agree," replied Beast as he fought with the androids, "I suggest that we discover an alternate course of action and continue our search before we're overpowered."

"Make a path for us, bright eyes," ordered Wolverine.

"Way ahead of you," he replied. He tore off his visor and opened his eyes revealing the destructive full power of his raw optic blasts.

Nightcrawler grabbed Beast and teleported with him as Cyclops tore through the robots with his blasts. Wolverine continued advancing upon the androids slashing mercilessly through their metal structures. Finally, the androids had been distinguished leaving only rubble in their paths. Cyclops put his visor back on and staggered towards the entrance as Beast, Nightcrawler and Wolverine finished off the last of the soldiers. Cyclops blasted the door wide open and ran through into the room. What he saw brought a heavy gasp from him as he entered upon a large and desolate stadium.

"It can't be," marveled Cyclops.

"It was all another diversion," replied Beast as he entered the room in shock.

"How can it be?" asked Nightcrawler.

"Apocalypse may have given the professor a false mental signal," explained Beast, "which explains why he finally was able to reach his mind and see things so clearly."

"All that for just a red herring?" replied Wolverine, "No wonder those things were so easy to beat. Apocalypse is toying with us."

"None of it matters now," replied Cyclops as he stormed off, "What's done is done; let's get over it and move on. We have to get back to the mansion and regroup. Apocalypse is somewhere, and we have to get to him before he attacks **_us_**."

Beast crouched down among wires that lay along the floor as they left,

"We're leaving, Hank," said Nightcrawler.

"One moment," he replied.

"Got something cooking?" asked Wolverine.

"These wires," he explained, "They're oddly conspicuous… they look as if they've been torn from something."

"What do you think happened?" asked Wolverine.

"Apocalypse **_was_** here," he replied, "But sensed the professor's mind probes and moved."

"Something don't add up," replied Wolverine, "Why would he run from us when he knows just as much as we do that he could kill us?"

"He didn't want his plans disturbed," replied Beast, "He's doing something so incredible that he'd rather have run than risk us destroying his plans."

"The question is: what does he have planned?" said Nightcrawler, "He must think he's composed a brilliant design to be so cautious."

"That's what scares me," said Beast, "If he's so secretive, he may be building something powerful."

"Let's go before more of those flying buckets come back," warned Wolverine. Beast cut a piece of the wire with his claw and ran off as they fled back to the blackbird. They trekked along the grass. Wolverine stopped running and drew his claws as Beast and Nightcrawler entered the blackbird.

He heard a low humming from afar and leapt off the ground as a blast emerged from beneath him. "Wolverine!" screamed Beast. Wolverine rolled along the ground and stood up as a robotic android approached him slowly, hovering high up in the air.

"Come on," challenged Wolverine with a low growl as he stood across from the android, "Think you're faster with that gun than I am with my claws?"

"Come quietly or risk injury," warned the drone.

"Let's see who's quicker," he said. The drone blasted at him, but before he could fire Wolverine leapt high off the ground and landed upon the android slashing rapidly through his chest and arms. With a growl he slashed through the robots arms cutting the blaster off and swiped quickly, slicing his head off.

"Begin lifting off," said Cyclops as they watched from in the jet.

"But what about Wolverine?" asked Kurt.

"He'll catch up," replied Beast. Logan went down with the android as it slowly crashed down on the grass. He bounced off the robot and hurdled high in the air clutching onto the wing of the blackbird with his claws and hung while it prepared to lift off. He climbed onto the wing and into the blackbird as the lower hatch closed.

"Now, I'm pissed," declared Wolverine.

"Fascinating," beast proclaimed.

"What are you talkin' about?" asked Wolverine.

"We must be close to resolving what Apocalypse is constructing," explained Beast, "That droid was yet another attempt to stop us."

"If it's a fight he wants, it's a fight he's going to get," declared Cyclops.

Three of the students stood in a line at the doorstep of the danger room, looking around at the dark and docile large gymnasium.

"This is **_it_**?" asked Chi, "**_This_** is the danger room?"

"You'll think twice once the professor activates it," replied Puck, "I thought the same way and got the crap beaten outta me by this thing, but I was just a freshman then."

"What are you doing in here?" Asked Wolverine sternly, startling the students.

"We just wanted to see the Danger room," replied Puck.

"This ain't a hangout," he replied, "That's what class is for; now beat it."

"What's happening with finding the guys?" asked Chi.

"That ain't your concern," argued Wolverine, "It's on a need to know basis, and you don't need to know."

The collection of groans filled the room as they left the danger room one by one; Wolverine drew his claws and began his training.

"How fascinating," Beast said as he hung upside down in his lab, his reading glasses on as he read, "Fascinating, indeed."

"What's the analysis?" asked Scott.

"Seems the wires are from a laboratory which specializes in genetic alterations and studies," he replied, "Also, I seem to have discovered a trace of Deoxyribonucleic Acid upon the wire's texture."

"In English that's…?" asked Nightcrawler.

"DNA," replied Beast, "Of whom this DNA originates from is still in question, but I will continue my research and contact you upon further developments."

"It was all a trap," replied the Professor as he sat in his office talking with Scott who sat across from him, "how could I have been so foolish?"

"It's not your fault. Apocalypse is up to something big which figures why he'd send us on the wrong mission," said Scott, "It's driving me crazy; what would he want to do with five kids? Would he be so violent that he'd kill them?"

"I can still sense their genetic signature," replied the professor, "They aren't dead." Firestarter awoke fuzzy scenery; his eyes were throbbing in pain as he turned to see the dark room before his eyes. He could barely talk from his aching dry throat and slowly sat up from his bed.

"You're awake," said a voice from within the dark.

"Who… is that?" he asked squinting.

"You should relax," they replied, "You've been through a lot."

"Who are you?" he asked.

"It's I, Nightcrawler," he answered, "I was praying for you."

"God, I feel like I was hit by a truck," he complained with a groan as he rubbed his head.

"You almost were," replied Nightcrawler, "Those blasts can really pack a punch, no?"

"You said it," replied Firestarter, "How long have I been out?"

"Four days," replied Nightcrawler, "You've been out cold for all this time."

"Seems like yesterday I got hit by that explosive," he said. He gasped and stood up quickly as Nightcrawler held him down, "The kids, what happened to the kids?!"

"I'm afraid they were taken," he replied, "But everyone else is okay."

"Who was taken?" he asked.

"Five students," explained Nightcrawler, "Struggle, Connor Jenson, Primus, Dash, and Shotgun."

"Damn," muttered firestarter, "Are they…?"

"Dead?" he asked, "Hardly. We've been attempting to find them."

"I gotta get up and help," he said sitting up exhaustedly.

"You have to rest, friend," warned Nightcrawler.

"They're depending on me," argued Firestarter, "Besides; I know what Apocalypse is doing."

"You **_do_**?" asked Nightcrawler.

"Yes," he replied, "Can you take me to professor X express route?"

"I don't think I should," he argued.

"Please!" he insisted.

"Can't argue with a confident man," he replied. He grabbed his wrist and in a split second bamf-ed in thin air.

"How do you know this?" asked the Professor.

"I overheard it when those drones K.O. 'ed me," explained Firestarter, "I was lying out cold at the time. They probably assumed I was dead or something, but I could hear everything. Hard to find good help these days." The professor and Firestarter sat across from one another as Nightcrawler held him up over his shoulders. It was a startling revelation that Firestarter had revealed, and it was something they would have to act upon immediately. Within moments all of the X-men sat among the round table in the computer room discussing what the Professor might reveal to them.

"Thank you for coming here today," the Professor began, "As you know, it's been an arduous struggle for us over the past week, and I've managed to come across what Apocalypse is planning thanks to Firestarter."

"What is it?" asked the Cyclops.

"As you know, the wire I discovered among the desolate room was quite the conundrum to me," explained Hank, "But it's become crystal clear to me what purpose it serves and it's clear the room was in fact a laboratory."

"Apocalypse has kidnapped five of our students," explained the professor, "At this moment, he is genetically altering their DNA to serve his plans with the utmost confidence. He is altering their minds as well as their genetic signature to groom soldiers of immense power under his command."

"What?" asked Jean in disbelief.

"Of Course!" marveled Cyclops, "We **_do_** have something he wants."  


"What's that?" asked Jean. 

"An army," he replied.

"Precisely," replied Professor X.

"An army?" asked Jean, "this is a school."

"Think about it Jean, we have some of the most potentially powerful mutants on Earth within the confines of this mansion," the professor explained. 

"Many of these kids have the ability to crush an entire army with a single thought," explained Hank, "and many of them can enter fortresses without being touched. Under his ruler ship and training, he'll amplify their abilities greatly and have an unstoppable army in his hands."

"But they haven't fully developed their powers," argued Jean, "They could be killed if he increases their abilities."

"He will take the chance," replied Beast, "there's much more where they came from."  


"It all makes sense now," marveled Scott, "He kidnapped five of our best students as simple test subjects, like mock-ups and then planned on kidnapping the rest. He probably was expecting us to rescue them so he can catch the rest of the students while we were gone and use them as pawns in his army. He gave us the runaround."

"To us, they're just kids," explained Logan, "To him, they're living weapons."

"Then what do we do?" asked Jean, "If we leave to rescue those kids, he'll have everyone for himself."

"We do what he least is expecting," replied Logan, "We have what he doesn't yet: an army. We'll use this army and attack him with everything we have. He wants a war; the war will come to him."

"You can't possibly expect kids to go into war with Apocalypse," argued Jean, "Most of these children can barely control their abilities, how can you expect them to use them in battle?"

"We'll take the older ones," explained Scott, "and the ones with the most **_control _**over their abilities."

"I must agree with Jean," argued Hank, "We'd be hand delivering them to Apocalypse if we drop them onto the battlefield. Some of these children don't even enjoy being in this school. We can't possibly ask them to risk their lives in a war."

"Professor, you have to re-consider this," replied Jean.

"I agree that putting children in the middle of a battlefield is risky," explained the professor, "and we must reconsider another action of recourse… though at this moment there seems to be none I can think of."

"I propose we leave it to the **_children _**to decide if they're fit to fight," replied the Henry, "As of this moment we're in a bind and Apocalypse seems to have a better chance at succeeding than we do; as a great man once said: "desperate times call for desperate measures" and at this time we're desperate and the hour draws upon us; we must stop Apocalypse before he continues his plans."

"Either we go over there and stop him or we risk a war, the deaths of innocent children and worldwide exposure we don't need," Logan said sitting back, "We don't have a choice here."

"Even if we did recruit the students to fight, how would we do this?" asked Cyclops.

"We'll gather them in the auditorium," explained the professor, "Then we'll see who will aid us in battle. We must have faith and confidence in our training."

"This is indeed a risky move," Hank said consoling Jean, "But it is a necessary evil." Professor X put his fingers at the sides of his head and concentrated upon his telepathic message.

"This is Professor X," he announced over everyone in the mansion's minds, "I have an urgent message for all students and faculty. Please, report to the auditorium immediately." Every one of the students and faculty that he gave the all points bulletin to instantly stood up in attention and swarmed towards the auditorium in groups anticipating what the Professor may announce to them. 

Would it be a message of hope? Or would it be an announcement of the deaths of their friends? The students that were contacted trekked along the campus, the deafening silence enveloped the air as the tension and fear of foreboding doom arose.

"What do you think he's going to tell us?" asked Ratfink.

"I afraid to find out," replied Port, "Sounds bad, or else he wouldn't be calling all of us at once."

"You think…" pondered Chi, "I mean, you think Struggle and the others are…?"

"--Don't think like that," replied Lykechu, "He probably just wants to give us a progress report."

"Then why do I feel like a soldier walking off into to a war?" asked Puck.

"I know what you mean, I got the same feeling," replied Moss.


	7. Brood of Apocalypse Chapter Seven

**CHAPTER SEVEN: Riders of the Storm**

Conversations and low muttering scattered along the large auditorium as many of the students sat awaiting Professor X to talk, others scattered and walked around looking for a seat. Firestarter staggered into the room with crutches, his chest wrapped in bandages and remained in the background watching as the students sat. Finally everyone sat along the rows of seats, the rest of the X-men stood among the stage looking down at everyone preparing for their ultimatum which would either unite their school or separate it for the good. At last, the deafening silence arose as the children waited on edge to hear from the Professor.

"Good afternoon," the professor began as he looked out onto the curious and scared faces, "We as a whole have been through an ordeal over the past week. As you know five of our students were aggressively kidnapped under our radar and continue to remain captive. Recently, we have discovered what the assailant's intentions are for the captives, and have decided to rescue them."

The crowds began gasping and muttering at the Professor's revelation, and stopped as he continued. "The one who kidnapped them is called Apocalypse," he continued. A holographic image appeared from behind the professor showing a large three-dimensional image of Apocalypse in all his glory; his image was big to depict his stature and imposing appearance among the young people. The professor attempted to continue his speech while the students gasped and muttered among one another in awe and amazement; some even looked on in terror. Firestarter also stared wide-eyed and in shock as he lay eyes upon the menace before them, a menace he'd never seen in the school before.

"**_This_** is apocalypse," declared Cyclops, "The picture you see before your eyes is not a composite nor is it a fabrication. He is real, people, and he is possibly the most powerful most intelligent mutant that ever lived. His birth name is En Sabah Nur, known as "The First One" in English."

"I have called upon you today because I have confidence that you're our best of the best. Many of the others cannot control their abilities; I have called you here to give you a request," he explained, "Our resources are low; and as a team we can't possibly fight Apocalypse alone. His plan is to capture each and every one of you and make you his soldiers. We have something that he wants; an army, an army of powerful mutants. We called upon you to ask that you help us in fighting Apocalypse."

A tidal wave of mutters and discussion rose upon the auditorium as Jean sat in back nodding in discontent.

"I know this is a heavy request," explained the professor, "But, I would not ask if it weren't truly dire."

"For those who feel confident in their abilities to help us in our time of need, or for those of you who would like to help, we ask that you step forward," explained Cyclops, "Anyone who would not like to help, stay seated and there will be no hard feelings. We need your help, and we need it now… we beg you." Silence suddenly struck the room as the gawking and nervous faces of the students attempted to comprehend this plea. Those that would step forward and participate would face a battle bigger than they would ever experience, and the professor knew very few would step in to help.

Out of the silence arose footsteps and a lone participant walked down the aisle, the students watching in confusion. Two students and firestarter began walking down the aisle, "I'm in," said Firestarter as he approached the stage. It didn't matter to anyone that he was injured, his zeal was so great, and no one dared to interrupt.

"Anyone else?" asked Cyclops as he looked onto the students. A button seemed to click among the young faces as they witnessed the three on stage and began to fully comprehend what was arising among the mansion. It was no longer training nor was it mock-up battles; this was the big time, the ultimate test of their abilities as a team. Like a tidal wave, the chosen students began rising from their seats one by one, deftly afraid, but still confident and determined to get their teammates back and look evil in its eyes once and for all.

"I am profoundly proud of what we have accomplished today," pronounced Professor X, "It will be a long and strenuous battle, but in the end we will triumph."

That afternoon it was a mad rush among the chosen students of the school as everyone prepared for the ultimate battle that awaited them somewhere. Questions and fear were dense in the air among the students as they suited up and readied to set out to test their abilities.

"Wow!" Specter bragged as he threw punches in the air, "My very first mission!"

"I wouldn't be cheering if I were you," replied Pit-bull, a brown-skinned lycanthropic mutant as he suited up in his outfit.

"Why not?" he asked, "I think this is going to be a cool adventure."

"You call being chased by robots and an almighty mutant fun?" he asked, "I'm so scared I'm shaking in my fur."

"Everything is going to be fine," Firestarter assured them as he pulled out his black leather jacket from his locker, "Just keep a level head and focus. You know, like in "Logan Sessions"."

"I don't pay attention in Logan sessions," replied Ratfink scratching his head against his baseball cap, "I usually drown out his voice when he talks directly to me."

"Oh, man," sighed Firestarter frustrated as he walked off, "We're doomed."

"Are you sure you can go out there with your injuries?" asked Chi.

"I'm fine, Diane," he assured her, "It's just a fractured ribcage. Besides, I have a score to settle with Apocalypse. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Sure," she replied, "I'm ready for anything. My friends need me."

"Just remember your training and you'll be fine," he assured her, "You've been here for a year now."

"Okay," she replied with a smirk. Firestarter attempted to walk off but was stopped by Chi who grabbed his arm, "Just… be safe, okay?" she asked, "It wouldn't be the same without you here, **_I…_** **_everyone _**would miss you."

"By **_everyone _**do you mean you?" he asked with a smile.

"N-No," she argued nervously.

"I'll be more careful," he assured her, "don't worry your pretty head off. I tell you what: we'll look out for each other in the field… I'll watch your back, and you'll watch mine. Deal?"

"Deal," she replied with a confident smile.

"Does the professor even know where Apocalypse is?" asked Bam, a Psionic mutant as she struggled to put her boots on.

"Course he does," argued Ratfink, "how can you ask such a dumb question?" Ratfink turned towards Specter and whispered in a low voice, "**_Does_** the professor know where Apocalypse is?"

"I have no idea," he replied.

"I heard he's trying to locate him now," replied Puck, "He's been at it for days."

"Man, did you hear what happened to Wolverine, Beast, Cyclops, and Nightcrawler?" asked Eureka an electric mutant, "They walked right into a trap that Apocalypse set for them."

"What if **_we_** walk into a trap?" asked Lykechu.

"There are fifty of us," argued Bam, "We can take them, no sweat."

"He can't fight what he can't catch," said Eureka.

"Wow," marveled Ratfink, "When you start talking like Yoda, it **_is_** serious."

Professor X sat among his wheelchair, the helmet of cerebro strapped onto his head as sweat dripped down his forehead, his eyes clenched tight as he psychically attempted to locate Apocalypse. Everytime he'd gotten close to pinpoint his location, all he could see was pitch black messages that entered his mind. He'd performed a seventy-two hour marathon of mind bending exercise desperately attempting to discover Apocalypses hideout. He could see the faces of his young army awaiting his command, all fifty of them standing around and talking as they waited on pins and needles for their call to battle. He grunted and heavily probed among the lands for the psychic signal from Apocalypse's mind.

He could slowly make the image of Apocalypse before his mind, his shape and indistinct features slowly revealing itself before his mind. "I know you can sense me Apocalypse," muttered Professor X, "But where are you?" He slowly began comprehending the scenery around Apocalypse as soon his mental guard began to fade away and finally…! Professor X opened his eyes and panted heavily as he leaned down to his knees exhausted and extremely fatigued as his massive deed. "At last," he muttered, "I've found him." He took the helmet off and the doors slid open behind him, Cyclops and Jean Grey walked in, fully suited as they rushed to his aide.

"Professor," Jean said holding him up, "Are you alright?"

"Yes," he said with a heavy breathless pant, "I've done it."

Cyclops leaned down to Professor X and with one final word asked, "Where is he?"

"Alright," Beast said standing among the young army that stood among the launch pad awaiting his signal, "We will have four perimeters of attack. There will be air, ground, by jet and by water. Those who can fly will immediately fly off when we land and begin reconnaissance; those who can only walk will proceed on foot and attack at front." Cyclops, Jean, Wolverine, and Nightcrawler stormed along the runway quickly, now knowing where Apocalypse stood with his soldiers and fortress and prepared to take off.

"Alright," Cyclops instructed aloud, "There will be four aircrafts lifting off, I want all students to split into four teams and await commands by the pilot. This will be a strenuous mission and I urge those who feel they cannot accompany us, are free to stay here. There will be no hard feelings." He awaited but no one turned back, no one wanted to, they'd been trained too well to back out at that moment.

"Very well," he replied, "Let's move!" The students swarmed into the aircrafts, no longer school and no longer play, this was serious and the importance of the mission before them lingered above their heads. Firestarter sat along Cyclops' aircraft strapping himself in his seat sitting along side the many students who awaited lift off.

"Blackbird, ready," Cyclops said over his headset.

"X-copter, ready," said Wolverine at the cockpit.

"X-copter 2, ready," informed Beast.

"Harrier Jet, armed and ready at your command," replied Nightcrawler.

Cyclops looked at Jean who also bore a mixed expression of anger and concern, looked back at the students and declared to everyone, "Okay ramblers, let's get rambling," With that final war affirmation, like a swarm of locusts, the aircrafts lifted off the ground in unison and like a troop all lifted off into the sky ready to confront Apocalypse one last time. 

It was a test of courage, a test of bravery, and a test of their skills that most knew they wouldn't escape unscathed. Professor X sat among his wheelchair in his office as the young students stood behind him watching the aircrafts fly off into the horizon. He closed his eyes and sent out a message of hope to every one of the soldiers,

"You'll face a mission of bravery, of plight, of danger, but you must all know that united, we are unbreakable and powerful, and united we must arrive on the battlefield. You will face off against and confront ultimate evil and hatred which will attempt to corrupt you, but you must know that each of you with tragic pasts have a family that will look out for you and aide you in your time of need; God speed, my young students and friends, god speed." It was a speech that made the X-men feel complete and bonded them emotionally and mentally, it was a song of hope and luck that they would need for the obstacle that they would face.

In Wolverine's aircraft, Ratfink and Specter sat beside each other listening to his mutters and indistinct chatter with the other pilots at their cockpits. They resembled an air squad in war as they flew across the oceans and metropolis-scapes undetected from government radar.

"Can you hear what he's saying?" asked Flame, a pyrokinetic mutant as she leaned over towards the cockpit, bound by her seatbelt.

"No clue," replied Insomnia.

"Psst!" Flame muttered in a sharp whisper to the group, "Does anyone here have super-hearing abilities?"

"Why?" asked as student.

"We want to hear what Wolverine is saying," she replied.

"**_I_** can," replied Eureka, "I have special hearing."

"Work your magic, then," replied Ravage a lycanthrope mutant.

Eureka leaned as far as he could, the straps from the seatbelts rubbing against his shoulder and listened as Wolverine talked over his headset which was inaudible to the others. Suddenly, Eureka gasped and with a gleam in his eye nodded his head sadly and leaned back in his seat,

"What? What?" asked Ravage.

"Logan said that Apocalypse might have up to a hundred of his soldier androids guarding him," explained Eureka, "We might be in for a good fight."

"Sheesh," complained Particle, a mutant with the abilities to shrink, "My confidence is shaken, now."

"We knew what we were getting ourselves into," Reckless, a power absorbing mutant replied sternly, "Besides, once we got on this plane, there's no turning back."

"Anything else?" asked a student. She leaned forward again and looked at everyone confused.

"What's Genosha?" asked Eureka.

"Sounds like a breakfast meat," replied a Particle confused. Specter's stomach began to churn as he overheard the bad news and looked over to Ratfink who seemed surprisingly calm. 

"Hey Ratfink," he said tapping him with wide sad eyes.

"What?" he asked.

"I'm scared," replied Specter.

"About what?"

"I mean—what if Apocalypse kills us?" he asked concerned.

"You're so dumb," he laughed, "His **_robot soldiers_** will kill us **_long_** before we even see him."

Back at Cyclops's aircraft, tensions stirred among the deafening silence of the young troops that awaited arrival at Apocalypses nest.

"Times like this make me think about what I've been doing with my life," explained Chi.

"You're only eighteen," explained Firestarter, "You have a long way to go."

"Do you ever think that way?" she asked.

"All the time," he replied, "Being a computer teacher wasn't what I planned."

"Really?" she asked, "What did you want to be?"

"Lawyer," he explained, "Want to defend people who can't defend themselves. You?"

"A gardener," she replied, "But I always worry it won't follow through."

"Give it time," he assured her, "I never met a beautiful botanist."

"Ah, I'm not interested in looks," she replied.

"Easy for you to say," He argued, "You've never been ugly."

She chuckled embarrassed and sighed, "I have to admit, I'm pretty scared," she explained rubbing her hands together nervously.

"It's okay," he assured her, "We **_all_** are. Just stick by me when we get into trouble. We'll survive this, I promise."

"Are you sure?" she asked with glassy eyes.

"Sure," he replied grabbing her hand and gently holding it, "I'll buy you a drink when we get back, what do you say?"

"Deal," she replied with a laugh.

"If we make it through this I'm going to go home and have a big chunk of cake," said Insomniac.

"Cheeseburger," replied Bam, "I love cheeseburgers." While the students bonded and stuck by each other, the X-men convened over the radio headsets, the swarm of aircrafts flying over the sea, 

"Apocalypse's forces will be sturdy and unbreakable," explained Cyclops, "A sneak attack will definitely catch him with his pants down."

"What if he's already transformed the kids into his soldiers?" asked Jean.

"Then its five more people we got to take out," replied Logan, "They're not kids anymore once they become Apocalypse's pets, we gotta remember that."

"We shouldn't approach them as if they were plain soldiers," explained Hank, "We must bear in mind that they can be transferred back to their conventional states."

"I agree," replied Kurt, "They will be formidable foes, but we have to be careful."

"I just wanna run my claws over that smug kisser of Apocalypses," declared Wolverine, "Give him something to think about next time he tangles with the X-men."

"We're all gonna get our chances," replied Cyclops, "We have to put an end to this once and for all."

"How are our young soldiers holding up?" asked Kurt.

"A lot of quiet," replied Jean.

"Which means a lot of fear, anger, and tension," replied Kurt, "I can sense it."

"I fear this battle may be over before it's even begun," explained Hank, "I sense much doubt within their confidence in their skills."

"We trained them right," argued Cyclops, "It isn't over till Apocalypse is down."

"You and me both know what's gonna happen out there, Cyc," explained Logan, "They're going to freeze up."

"You don't know that," replied Jean.

"The hell I don't," replied Logan, "I've seen some of them in the training courses. If they can't handle my training sessions, there's no way they're going to take on Apocalypse."

"Let's just hope for the best," replied Nightcrawler.

"I'm sure **_ hope's _**all we got, elf," replied Wolverine.

"Here it is," declared Cyclops with an amazed whisper, "We are approaching Ground Zero." The jets finally began approaching the island that stood in the center of the wide ocean; through the mist, the foursome could see the island over the horizon slowly gaining shape.

"Genosha," muttered Hank in concern.

"Are the prisons still there?" asked Kurt.

"Negative," replied Cyclops, "It's abandoned, if you don't count Apocalypses presence."

"It's as dirty and rotten as when we left it," declared Logan.

"We'll begin landing in five minutes," instructed Cyclops as he opened his landing gear, "announce to everyone the procedure."


	8. Brood of Apocalypse Chapter Eight

**Chapter One**

**Chapter Two**

**Chapter Three**

**Chapter Four**

**Chapter Five**

**Chapter Six**

**Chapter Seven**

**Chapter Eight**

**Chapter Nine**

**Chapter Ten**

**CHAPTER EIGHT: **** Last Stand at Genosha**

"We are approaching the drop zone," Jean announced over the intercom to everyone, "Begin un-strapping your seatbelts." The students looked up and began to mutter aloud as the plane stirred with mixed emotions of fear and tension. The announcement made its way throughout the jets as the students instantly became restless.

"We'll drop down onto the island slowly," instructed Cyclops, "Then we'll cloak them and begin."

"Affirmative," replied Logan, Hank, and Kurt. They finally approached the island and slowly began to fly towards the trees. The jets hovered over the sands and slowly descended onto the land stirring the trees and dirt underneath them. The jets landed finally with a subtle tremor. As the engines died down, the students quickly un-strapped their belts and stood up. 

"Stay close," Chi said to Firestarter as she panted in nervousness.

"Relax," he assured her, "It's going to okay."

Cyclops stood up from his seat, turned and began to storm towards the door walking through the students who stood by his sides in a line; he began to trek along the aisle as the soldiers looked up at him,

"Alright, we are at ground zero," Cyclops explained loudly, "The others are being instructed by their team leaders like I'm doing with you, so listen: This is a large island full of traps and random obstacles--"

"—we cannot anticipate what awaits us here," continued Hank in the next jet among **_his_** group, "But what we understand is that there will be many of Apocalypses drones to await us should we be detected--"

"—so don't draw attention to yourselves," instructed Wolverine as he stood in the center of his group in the next jet, "And don't get trigger happy with guns blazing, save your strength and fire power for when you **_really_** need it, and you ** _will_** need it. Last thing we need is Apocalypse locking onto us and shoving those androids up our butts. Be stealth-like when you're in the forest--"

"—and keep low," explained Kurt to his group on the next jet, "For those who can fly, keep at a low altitude to keep from being detected by Apocalypse's telepathy. We shall spread out among the island and attack at all points. You've seen the plans. Remember your training it will help you in battle--"

"—you **_must_** remember to use what we've taught you in the field," urged Cyclops as he stood among his group, "Those soldiers are quick, skilled, and pack a lot of power, but you can take 'em down with a hit to the chest which is where their main hard drive is. You can keep in contact with your communication insignias." He looked upon the eager young faces and tried to keep hope high within his mind, "Good Luck," he declared, "God willing, I'll see you all back here later." The jet doors opened from beneath as the X-men walked out followed by their groups who swarmed off and walked along the land. Many were curious to their scenery and peered around to the trees and blue skies.

The winds were harsh that faithful day as the trees waved along the wind, the sand blowing up in the air and into their faces. The jets instantly disappeared into thin air, become invisible, cloaking itself. Cyclops looked over at the groups and waved his hand motioning everyone to move out.

"Nice place," whispered Ravage.

"When we're up to our butts in robots, you won't think so," replied Ratfink. Logan whistled to Cyclops and motioned to him. Cyclops whistled to everyone and motioned for them to spread out among the island; he motioned once more up towards the sky signaling to the air bound mutants to fly up.

"Happy hunting," declared Eureka to Specter as he flew off into the sky.

All of the air-bound mutants lifted off into the sky slowly like wasps in on their prey; Firestarter stood on the ground and turned towards Chi who began starting her powers up,

"Firestarter, go air bound," ordered Cyclops.

"I'm…waiting for Chi," he explained.

"You heard the man," replied Logan sternly, "Get air bound, now."

"See you up there," said Firestarter as he flew off.

"Let's move," ordered Logan to the students as the reconnaissance team launched to the sky. The team made its way through the woods, listening for noise among the eerie silence.

"A-Are you scared, Mr. Summers?" asked Specter nervously.

"We **_all_** are," replied Scott, "We'll be fine, though."

"I wonder if Apocalypse knows we're here," wondered Meltdown.

"I could care less," he replied, "I came here to smoke cigars and bust some skulls. And I'm all out of cigars."

"For the record, this is one of the worst field trips I ever had," Ratfink proclaimed to Specter.

"Quiet," whispered Specter.

"This reminds me of those Tarzan films," said Aftershock as she staggered through mud puddles, "I'm expecting monkeys to fly at me any minute."

"Just keep a sharp eye," warned Lykechu.

On the other side of the jungle, Cyclops and Logan head up a group of students as they crept through the grass. The trees were scattered along swamps and fields and dank pits that stretched out randomly; muddy vines hung every which way from among the tops of trees which draped down onto the forests like giant umbrellas creating nothing but darkness with rays of sunlight peeking down onto the ground, the smell of gasoline and mud thick in the air; the fog from the swamps settling like a presence. Wolverine looked around and whistled loudly, the swarm of low-flying students peering down as he pointed to them to head on over the jungle. It resembled World War 3 as they all swarmed like fighter jets slowly through the top of the forest not knowing what to expect in the turns and twists before them. Cyclops stepped forward as Logan stood still looking around; he could sense something wasn't right amidst the trees and began sniffing around. His senses didn't lie to him, he felt uneasy and cautious trekking along the jungle, "Kerosene," he whispered to himself, "Booby traps. Scott, stop--!" 

One of the students tripped over a wire falling to his knees as suddenly, within a split second, a bomb was set off blasting the trees in the air; the formation above broke as everyone ducked to the ground. The student was suddenly covered with a glowing net that covered his body. "It's a trap!" Scott shouted; all of a sudden, explosions raged like a domino effect across the grassy fields as nets launched into the air snatching the students one by one. Some shot and attempted to escape furiously but very few managed to dodge the large nets. Specter looked up as a large shadow loomed over him, "Specter, look out!" Ratfink yelled. Specter looked up as the net dived down onto him rapidly; with quick thinking he dove onto Specter and pushed him out of the way as the net slammed onto the ground, they rolled down the hill slamming onto the ground into a large puddle of water. 

Cyclops optic blasted the rapidly propelling ground nets with fast precision as Logan slashed the falling nets into pieces with his claws jumping in front of others from the rapid falling nets. Beast back flipped repeatedly as the nets fell down onto him, Nightcrawler skillfully teleporting out from the nets holds.

"It's like a rainfall," Nightcrawler said teleporting from the nets.

"Indeed," replied Beast, "But it has never rained paralysis plasma nets before." The kids ran across the fields past Cyclops and Logan who stood awaiting any nets that fell down onto them. Suddenly a humongous blast arose from the horizon in the distance, a sound that stopped the X-men in their paths, the other students unaware of the impending horror that was about to enter their midst. Time seemed to stop at that split second as every one of the X-men's pasts flashed before them, the others oblivious to what true danger they were in for.

"Oh, no--" Nightcrawler said in a breathless gasp of horror looking up.

"—Sentinels," Beast replied. The reconnaissance team looked on as large metallic figures arose from the ground, rocket blasters raging beneath their feet. They hovered in mid-air watching in confusion and terror as the swarm of sentinels burst from the ground like an army.

"What the hell are those things?" asked Port.

"Sentinels," replied Beast, "but how?"

"He can control any machine on earth," replied Nightcrawler, "It's understandable he'd control something that could easily kill us."

"Attack!" Commanded Cyclops. His war cry seemed to echo throughout the island, for at that moment, every mutant began the war on Apocalypse. There was no fear, no doubt, only one goal to get back their friends. Without hesitation the ground and flight sector swarmed through the sky blasting relentlessly at the groups of mountainous sentinels that bolted from the grounds like bees from the hive; the endless amount of fire power prevented practically every sentinel from escaping the barricade line of attack. 

As most of the sentinels made their way past the barricade of fire power, they instantly began retaliating against the rally of mutants that attacked them relentlessly. Below, Cyclops fired his optic blast at full capacity at stray sentinels as the ground team made their way rapidly across the thick trees and terrain. There was no time to think, only to act as they made their way through the forest, Cyclops and Logan heading up the team. Jean followed blocking the kids from the laser nets, "Jean!" Scott called from afar, "Go airborne, they need your help up there!" She rose up and quickly launched up into the sky as the airborne battle ensued between the flight capable soldiers and metallic behemoths known as Sentinels.

"Apprehend mutant subjects," droned a sentinel as they grouped together. Jean rose up in front of the group of students, "Get behind me," she ordered, "and be ready for their attacks." Like a tidal wave, the onslaught of sentinel attacks slammed down onto the group of students as they blasted non-stop. Jean formed a large telepathic shield blocking the fire power as the students flew back watching in shock.

"Get ready… to attack," she warned straining to keep the mental shield, "I'll break the shield." The students powered up quickly, each set of fists, eyes, and bodies glowing brightly preparing to fight an all-out battle.

"How are they doing up there?" asked Cyclops as they ran through the forest.

"I don't know," replied Nightcrawler as he swung along the tree branches, "but if it's anything like it's going down here, they're losing." Suddenly a blast of light dashed past Nightcrawler nearly missing his chest burning the tree branch into ashes. He slipped and held onto another branch with his tail as the students making their way into Apocalypses grounds stopped to a halt. Suddenly, his drones arose from the distance, their guns pointing out in front.

"So much for the element of surprise," said Nightcrawler.

"He has the ground and air covered," said Wolverine as he drew his claws from his hand.

Like a tank the android drones charged furiously into the forest as the students on the ground dodged their rapid blasts. Ratfink swung along the tree branches like an acrobat dodging blasts from the drones, teasing them as Specter snuck through the front line.

"Hurry up!" Ratfink urged him swinging skillfully along the branches, "I don't know how much longer I can keep this up!"

"I'm trying!" he replied. Discord, a luck controlling mutant ran through the marshes racing past androids that pursued her relentlessly, she turned and pointed her palms onto the ground; it caved in from under the androids dropping them into a deep dark hole, Up above, Midnight Angel a flight capable mutant slashed his way through Sentinels with his large axe, his large feathered wings waving in the air as he maneuvered through the air dodging their pursuit.

In the distance Firestarter threw fire ball after fire ball as Penance stood by his side watching the Sentinels advancing.

"There's so many of them," he said in fright.

"I know," Firestarter replied shooting down the Sentinels one by one, "We have to keep them off our backs so Cyclops and the others can get into the base."

"Can I copy your powers?" asked Penance.

"Go nuts," he replied giving his hand to him. Penance grabbed his hand and closed his eyes using his ability to copy powers. He opened his eyes again, powered up his fists and bolted off into the sky launching fire balls non-stop.

In the distance, Amp, an electricity controlling being dashed through the Sentinels as they attempted to grab onto her, She dove through their barrage of force electrifying their metallic structures rendering them inoperable throwing lightning balls into their chests as her cloak waved in the wind. Wolverine stood on the ground slashing through the rapidly advancing drones who attempted to corner him, but they were no match.

"Come on you walking trash cans," he challenged them; "I'll tear through every one of your hides." Cyclops stood his ground as he hunched over a fallen student who lie unconscious on the ground, blasting every approaching drone that advanced on them. He turned with accurate precision blasting every one of them with his optic blasts.

"There's too many of them," Cyclops said to Beast who pounced on a droid smashing it into pieces.

"I fear our resources may be drawing thin," he warned, "Are there any casualties?"

"No deaths," he replied, "but a lot of them are down. I found this one laying in the grass, and six were caught by Apocalypses laser nets." He leaned down, cradled the child in his arms and ran off into the trees,

"I will take her to safety in the Blackbird," he said running off.

"I'll hold up the fort," Cyclops replied. Firestarter stood in the center of the clouds beside two others blasting the Sentinels without hesitation. He became increasingly fatigued rapidly using his powers at full capacity.

"Man," he said, "I don't know how much more I can go on like this."

"There are tons of them," replied Phantom as she floated in the air, "They're outnumbering us." Without warning, the Sentinels had them cornered, four of the large androids loomed over the increasingly outnumbered students.

As Nightcrawler dodged attacks below, he caught sight of the ambush above and teleported. In a split second he bamf-ed onto the head of a sentinel whose head was blasted off by another. "Too fast, no?" he said with a grin, as the robot exploded falling into the trees, he teleported onto another's chest prompting the other to attack it. Now clear of attack and no longer ambushed, the kids advanced onto the sentinels once more as Nightcrawler appeared back onto the ground finishing his attack.

"We have to get inside that base," said Jean.

"Apocalypse isn't going to stop attacking until we're all dead," replied Cyclops as he blasted the robots, "The forces are dropping the more we approach the base, only a few groups remain."

"Where are the others?" she asked.

"Our air attack can't handle the sentinels much longer," he explained, "and Beast has taken twelve of the injured students to the Blackbird." Chi formed large hands from her powerful aura and like a bulldozer tore through the Sentinels' bodies without ease. She dashed through the air punching the sentinels away as finally she caught sight of the base.

"There it is!" she said pointing down.

"We see it, Cyclops," Firestarter replied tapping his X-insignia, "We're above it."

"Don't get heroic," Cyclops warned, "Keep an eye out until we get there." Wolverine continued slashing through the androids with skill, dashing across the fields slashing one by one without difficulty.

"The base," he said standing in front of a large metallic structure shaped like a cube, "We're here."

"Finally," Nightcrawler said teleporting beside him.

"How many made it through the barricade?" asked Wolverine.

"Very few," replied Cyclops as he and Jean approached the front of the base.

"Counting us, that's only a hand full against Apocalypse," said wolverine.

"Ghastly odds," replied Nightcrawler.

"You said it," replied Wolverine.

"I'll assemble the remaining fifteen and we'll finish this once and for all," he said tapping his X-insignia, "X-men, meet at the base and we'll begin our final stage of attack, hurry."

Only a few of the students stood unscathed compared to the original group that approached the island; many were injured, and others were trapped within the laser nets launched from the ground. The few that remained were exhausted and weathered from the battle with the Sentinels and gun-wielding Androids. Ratfink, Firestarter and Chi stood among the small group resting as the X-men looked upon the base. Rubble and the charred metal remains of their attackers lay strewn about along the grass, the blanket of metal lying along mud puddles.

"No doors," Nightcrawler said inspecting the blank walls.

"All this for nothing," Ratfink replied wiping his sweaty head.

"Give them time," replied Chi.

"The sun is going down," replied Discord as she looked up, "How long have we been here?"

"Feels like months," replied Flame.

"Only four hours," replied Firestarter.

"Maybe we should say something to open the doors," explained Ratfink.

"What do you mean?" asked Cyclops.

"Like _"Ali Baba"_," he replied, "We can say Open Sesame… or Olli Olli Oxin Free." Suddenly, the ground began rumbling beneath them, they staggered back as the roof of the structure slid open like a launch pad. They watched as five indistinct figures emerged from the base and stood perched along the edge watching below.

"More of those droids?" asked Discord.

"They're not droids," warned Wolverine, "People."


	9. Brood of Apocalypse Chapter Nine

**Chapter One**

**Chapter Two**

**Chapter Three**

**Chapter Four**

**Chapter Five**

**Chapter Six**

**Chapter Seven**

**Chapter Eight**

**Chapter Nine**

**Chapter Ten**

** CHAPTER NINE: Friendly Fire**

"You have to be kidding me," complained Ratfink as he and the group watched in amazement and terror.

"Oh my goodness," Jean said in shock, "The students."

"Keep your guard up," warned Cyclops, as they all began backing up in suspicion.

"Behold!" Apocalypse said in a thunderous bellow, "The first replicas for my army of powered beings. The children of the Atom have now become children of Apocalypse; slaves willing to do my every bidding without conscious."

"Mindless drones," marveled Cyclops.

"Not much of a difference from Apocalypse," replied Ratfink.

"Look," Nightcrawler said, "His base is open, we can sneak in and attack there."

"I don't think they're going to let us get in without a fight," warned Wolverine.

"We'll split up," explained Cyclops, "Wolverine; you head up the attack and distract them while we sneak in from behind."

"Gotcha," replied Logan.

"As for the rest," continued Cyclops, "we'll split them up into two groups, one will come with us and the rest stay here to fight them off."

"Split up team," Wolverine ordered, "Time for a cram session."

"What do we do?" asked Chi.

"Distract them," he replied.

The five students were no longer conscious or able to think for their own, their only motivation was to destroy; Struggle led the group, their eyes were glowing bright blue, their face bore vicious grimaces as their bodies' skin bore ancient marks that symbolized Apocalypses hold on them.

"Okay," Logan said walking off into the field, "Let's move."

"Aw, geez," complained Ratfink as he followed Cyclops and the group into Apocalypses lair, "More fighting." The group of students ran off into the field and without hesitation, the four soldiers began chasing them. Cyclops and the rest snuck into the base as yet another battle ensued. The five powerful warriors slid down the side of the base, gliding to almost immeasurable speeds as the team ran through the forest leading them away from the group who attempted to sneak into the door.

"Spread out and stall them as long as possible," ordered Wolverine, "They're going to hit us and hit us hard."

"How do you know?" asked Flame.

"Apocalypse is never subtle," he replied, "If he wants his presence felt, he kicks the front door down." Dash, now in Apocalypses control, her blue eyes staring at her enemies looked right and left communicating with Struggle who pointed at them silently. Suddenly like a bolt of lightning Dash bolted across the field and slammed into the group knocking them off their feet; she was so fast they could barely see but a gray blur as she raced across the grass. They muttered in confusion as Dash stood at the end of the field hunching over them.

"Jesus!" marveled Pitbull, "I can't even see when she's coming at us!"

"Just keep your guard up," ordered Chi as she stood up quickly, turning towards Dash.

Firestarter powered his body up like a Roman candle and bolted into the sky flying through the trees. He flew like a jet through the marshes and terrain looking back as Struggle pursued him unremittingly; his haunting blank white eyes staring at him as he chased him like a bullet. "Crap," muttered Firestarter, "just my luck, it had to be him." He dove down into the trees flying through leaves and branches hesitantly; he turned, looked back and stopped as a large fire ball launched at him; he gasped in horror and shielded his face as the fireball clashed into his body pushing him back. The force of his power was staggering as it pushed him back causing him to struggle violently to hold his balance; the fire ball descended with a mighty roar as the wind and force parted the trees into the sky like the red sea. The trees split off their roots to the sides, smoldering into ashes as with all his might he reflected the fire ball away from him. 

He struggled to stay afloat in the air, exhausted from the staggering attack; he could barely catch his breath as Struggle dove down to him and violently tackled him and threw him onto the ground. He looked up as Struggle hunched over him from above awaiting his retaliation. "Struggle," Firestarter called to him attempting to stand up brushing himself off, "I'm sure somewhere in that vessel the old Struggle is there." Struggle lifted his hand up and formed fire ball in an instant. With accurate precision he began firing at Firestarter rapidly like a machine gun as he blocked every attack. Fireball after fireball crashed into him as he struggled to keep up his strength and prevent a dangerous clash of wills. The dust settled as Firestarter's clothes began burning off his body, the immense heat burning the leather into dust. "I know you can hear me," he said holding himself up, "and you have to try to reach inside of you and listen to me."

Struggle bolted down into the ground diving like jet slamming his fist into Firestarter with a groundbreaking punch. The force of the punch knocked Firestarter off the ground, his body rolled along the ground knocking into trees. He rubbed his throbbing face and sat up from the pit he lay in, his clothes torn beyond recognition.

"I…know…you're…under mind control…," he continued with his last bit of strength, "but… you're… really beginning to piss me off." Meanwhile on the center of the island, Wolverine stood and waited as Primus and Connor surrounded him; he knew he was in for some battle, but couldn't hurt them. "I guess it wouldn't do any good to try to reach you, eh kids?" he asked looking around. Connor formed a large sword from his hand and held it to his side, both he and Primus' eyes as white as pearls and as blank as the sky. "Guess not," he replied as his claws ripped from his knuckles, "Your move."

Shotgun stood quietly watching as the group fought off Dash and the rest; He held up his hand to his face, pointed, and with a burst, a shot blew from his hand knocking the students off their feet.

"Geez," Kobalt muttered, "Why couldn't he take the weaker students and turn them loose on us?"

"He knows what he's doing," replied Meltdown in admiration. Connor formed two large kitana swords from his hand and stood at guard awaiting the student's attacks.

"Someone has to take him down," explained Amp.

"Alright," complained Arson with a groan as he stood up wiping his clothes off, "Let's do it."

Wolverine leapt up into the air over Primus and sparred with him, Primus threw punch after blow as Wolverine blocked every rapid hit. "Come on," he challenged him. Primus continued with unflinching skill throwing punches at rapid fire speed. Wolverine ran against a tree, bounced off it and flipped over Primus kicking him into the tree. Primus turned unscathed within seconds throwing a swift punch which Wolverine dodged like clockwork and stood back as Primus approached him once more.

Wolverine staggered back attempting to dodge Primus' lunges and scratches with ease as he came at him almost rapid fire. Wolverine flipped back kicking him in the face and stopped at the front of a tree, stuck out his claws and swiped the middle of the trunk. Primus ran at him but suddenly stood back as the tree began tumbling down onto him. Before he could dodge the tumbling tree it crashed down onto him with a loud crash. Wolverine withdrew his claws and looked down onto Primus who was unconscious underneath the branches,

"Well," he said with a shrug, "At least he's not dead."

Meanwhile on the other side of the island Struggle stood atop Firestarter punching repeatedly as Firestarter lay vulnerable on the scorched ravaged ground. Suddenly huge green energy fist swooped down from the sky and slammed onto Struggles body knocking the wind out of him as they closed shut. He smashed his fist against the energy hands that locked him as Firestarter looked up at Chi who was up above struggling to keep her hold on Struggle who fought relentlessly.

"Chi," Firestarter muttered in surprise.

"Can't… hold him… much longer," she muttered in clenched teeth, "Can only last one more minute." Struggle crouched down and with a surprise burst into flames, his entire body began combusting as he powered up to full capacity. Chi gasped as he broke her energy gloves knocking her back into the trees from his force.

Like a gust of wind Firestarter burst from the ground and grappled Struggle from behind. Struggle peered back as Firestarter, bloody and bruised held his arms back tightly.

"I know there's still the same Struggle In there," Firestarter muttered, "You're still there, somewhere. If you wanted to kill us, you **_would_** have. He has your mind, but not your soul." Struggle smashed his head into firestarter's face knocking him into a daze, the blood gushing from his lip. Firestarter regained his composure and pulled Struggle down below and with a swift motion turned as they sped like torpedoes smashing into the trees and bushes head first. They smashed like human wrecking balls, every bit of wood and branch bashing their bodies as Firestarter took one last effort of desperation. Finally after a few minutes that seemed like hours, they reached the end of the forest and finally took a crash to the ground, their bodies violently rolling along the dirt and grime.

The students looked on as Struggle lay on the ground barely breathing, his body soaked in blood. He was finally beaten, but their victory was instantly fleeting as Firestarter lay across the field, his clothes torn to shreds, his body cut and bloody, barely breathing.

"What now?" asked Meltdown.

"Fight now, cry later," replied Logan.

"Are you sure we could take down the three left?" asked Anvil a metallic mutant.

"We have no choice," replied Particle. Dash bolted like a flash of light and tackled two of the students smashing them against Apocalypses wall without hesitation. They crashed into the concrete laying on the ground unconscious as she stood over them with bright blue soulless eyes.

The students watched in surprise as Dash turned towards them; she ran across the field and suddenly was pushed back as Force, a gravity controlling mutant stood his ground creating a gravitational hold upon her. Suddenly, Anvil leapt from the ground and came crashing down hitting her with all his might into the wall. They watched in horror as she lay against the wall unconscious finally beaten. Suddenly a large blast of force exploded from behind the group knocking them off their feet into the wall. They stood up in pain and saw Shotgun standing with his hands pointed out in front of him across from them alongside Connor who stood with two energy swords in his hands.

"Damn!" Pitbull groaned, "Didn't see that coming."

"I have him!" Penance screamed dashing from the ground towards Shotgun. Shotgun aimed as Penance rapidly ran towards him and took a shot.

Within an instant penance leapt off the ground over Shotgun and grappled him from behind binding his hands down. Shotgun struggled as Penance held him tight, "Just a few more seconds," he muttered strenuously. Shotgun broke free from the hold knocking Penance to the ground. He stood over Penance who sat on the ground vulnerably, took aim and shot; the blast was deafening but as Shotgun took his final blast, Penance who'd copied his powers took a shot as well. The two struggled with the force of the blasts moving forward and then back in a tug of war. The wind blew the remaining trees away into the mountain as Penance began gaining power over Shotgun and with one last gasp of strength overpowered him. The blast tore apart his shirt as it collided with his chest and threw him across the field.

Penance crouched down onto his knees in exhaustion as the team looked over to Connor who dove to the ground kicking Penance off his feet. He crouched down to his knees as he Penance lay on the ground out cold. Connor stood up and turned to Lilith who threw an energy ball at Connor who swatted it away with his sword reflecting it into the sky. 

"This isn't going to be easy," replied Limb.

"Distract him," Silencer whispered.

"Why?" asked Toxica.

"Just do it," replied Silencer. Like a football game, Toxica, Pitbull and Logan charged Connor and attacked from all sides as he fought them all at once. Pitbull leapt over him and kicked him in the back knocking him forward as Logan kneed him in the face. Connor fell back and formed sais from his hands and attacked again.

Silencer snuck around the battling foursome quietly as Pitbull threw fast kicks at his head. Connor back flipped effortlessly from Pitbull kicking him in the face and jammed his sai into Toxica who let out a loud cry of pain. Her toxic blood squirted from her shoulder onto the ground burning a hole through the dirt as she fell to her knees crying aloud. Connor grabbed Pitbull and flipped him to the ground as Logan tripped him knocking him on his back. Pitbull grappled Connor from behind struggling to keep him bound but Connor staggered back falling back onto the ground atop Pitbull and gashed him in the leg with his sai. Suddenly, Silencer attacked from in back of him and clenched her hands onto his arms. With a grunt of pain his entire arms slowly froze down to his finger tips.

Logan kicked him in the stomach and pummeled him to the ground as his body slammed onto a pool of mud; Silencer and Logan looked over Toxica and Pitbull who staggered along the grass wounded. Chi knelt over Firestarter's body concerned as Logan began gathering the fallen fighters.

"I-Is he dead?" asked Chi.

"No," replied Toxica, "he's hurt bad, though."

"What's happening here isn't anything compared to what Cyclops and the others are going up against," declared Pitbull as he peered into Apocalypse's base with discontent and worry.

"You think so?" asked Toxica.

"Trust me," Pitbull proclaimed, "We got out of this situation better than you think."

"Fools," Apocalypse muttered angrily, "They think they've beaten me?" A small modular probe hovered before his eyes scanning a digital picture of the outside of his base. He watched in anger as he saw his prototype super-soldiers lying on the ground beaten and admired the students who lay along the ground, others beginning to rise from consciousness. Some were beaten badly, and some were unconscious, he'd known that if he would be beaten by the likes of the X-men at least their children would go home with life threatening wounds that he'd inflicted upon them personally.

"They have not changed my plans," he muttered as he sat atop his throne shrouded in darkness as his metallic drones guarded him, "I will take mutant children that they've never seen before and then make them my army. No man on this planet, no being from this dimension shall bring me to my knees!" Footsteps could be heard within the pitch black tunnels of Apocalypses base, the drops of water echoing in the distance as deafening silence filled the dome.

"Where are we?" whispered Ratfink.

"I don't know," replied Cameo.

"We've been walking for what seems like an hour," said Nightcrawler. The tunnel was mostly pitch black, not a hand or a face could be seen aside from Scotts' optic glow.

"It's cold here," complained Satta, a plant powered mutant as she hugged herself attempting to warm up.

"That's all you're worried about?" asked Erder, an earth controlling mutant.

"Alright," replied Bam, "What are **_you_** worried about?"

"Those droids catching us here and shooting us down," replied Erder.

"We're almost there," replied Nightcrawler.

"How do you know?" asked Bam.

"The smell of gun oil is getting stronger," he replied.


	10. Brood of Apocalypse Chapter Ten

**Chapter One**

**Chapter Two**

**Chapter Three**

**Chapter Four**

**Chapter Five**

**Chapter Six**

**Chapter Seven**

**Chapter Eight**

**Chapter Nine**

**Chapter Ten**

** CHAPTER TEN: Showdown**

Suddenly a sound echoed throughout the tunnel, the distant sound of a gun cocking. It was ever so distant, but among the silence it was deafening. They all instantly stood up against the wall out of sight awaiting any disturbance. They stood side by side attempting to remain silent among the deafening quiet.

"The eyes," whispered Blight.

"What?" asked Ratfink.

"Cyclops' eyes," she replied pointing.

"What about 'em?" asked Ratfink.

"What if they see the glow?"

Within a split second, there arose a loud hissing and large tentacles emerged from the darkness like whips and began scooping everyone up with lightning fast speed. They all scattered attempting to dodge the tentacles as Satta, Cameo, and Erder were wrapped tight by the metallic lightning fast coils that tumbled down crashing down to the floor smashing the concrete in half and quickly pulled them into the darkness as their screams echoed. Ratfink and Nightcrawler leapt up into the ceiling pipes hanging as Cyclops blasted the tentacles with his optic blasts, Bam fought off the tentacles with her energy charges, dodging them and slashing them in two with precision, Blight blasted the tentacles into metallic shards with her plasma discharge, the metal shard falling at her feet. "Jean, look out!" She warned, but before she could be heard, Jean was grabbed violently and pulled into the darkness. Cyclops stood looking ahead attempting to shoot but Jean blocked his shot.

The tentacles ceased as Cyclops, Nightcrawler, Bam, Blight, and Ratfink remained looking into the darkness as the girls screamed out for help.

"What the hell was that?!" asked Bam.

"He knows we're here," replied Cyclops.

"He's using them as bait to lure us in," explained Nightcrawler.

"Well it's working," replied Cyclops storming off.

"Gee, one surprise after the other," replied Blight.

"I wonder what's next," said Bam.

"I don't," replied Ratfink.

They pressed on as the screams became closer; finally the tunnels began to become brighter as they reached the end. As the lights became brighter, they stopped at a glowing white entrance. Cyclops held his hand at his optic visor and entered as the rest followed, prepared for anything they might face.

"I must commend your relentlessness," Apocalypses droning voice said, "You truly have excellent potential for my new army."

"Where are the girls?" asked Cyclops.

"In my hold," he replied, "They will be transformed into my soldiers; excellent subjects… excellent, indeed."

"Let them go," replied Nightcrawler, "They are just children."

"Precisely," replied Apocalypse, "Children. Children can be molded children can be taught and adapted into an image. An image the professor has instilled on them like a father onto his own children."

"They think for themselves," argued Cyclops.

"Children are what grow into a potential product," he continued, "Children with powers only gods possess are children that I have most use for, they are beings that can be molded."

"You've turned them into monsters," replied Nightcrawler.

"I've turned them into warriors!" he persisted slamming his fist angrily against the wall, "Warriors in my image! They were **_already _**monsters."

"Take that back," replied Bam angrily.

"Quiet," replied Blight in fear.

"No," she replied angrily, "he's a bastard; you hurt our friends."

"Why serve as a student, when you can reign as a warrior?" asked Apocalypse.

"Alright," Cyclops said, "enough talk," With a fist of rage he blasted the walls with his optic blast; they crumbled beneath the force of his blasts as he lurched forward with his relentless blasts. The kids and Nightcrawler staggered back as Cyclops' optic blasts burst from his visor incinerating anything in his path. He turned his head back and forth annihilating everything in the path of his lethal destructive optic blasts.

"Fool!" Apocalypse screamed in anger as he brushed rubble from his side in rage, "You dare to provoke me?! I have trampled smaller men than you with powers far more superior!"

"Well?" asked Cyclops, "Do your worse!"

"I **_really_** wish he didn't say that," replied Ratfink. A large eruption burst from the walls knocking them off their feet. They sat up groaning in pain as the large figure of Apocalypse arose from the depths of the smoke from the carnage inflicted by Cyclops.

"No man or inhuman has ever been able to destroy me," he continued, "You and your children shall not change that."

"We can try," replied Nightcrawler.

He peered into their eyes as they watched him approach and suddenly began to increase in size, his body becoming ever more mountainous as the children watched in horror and awe. "Christ," Blight said with wide eyes of terror. He toppled them in size reaching heights of feet as they stood up watching him peer down onto them. Cyclops stood up and within an instant began blasting him with his optic blast. The rest took the cue and charged him attacking his body as Apocalypse fought them off angrily. Ratfink began crawling up his leg scratching at his skin dodging Apocalypses mountainous hands that swatted at him like a charging bull. Ratfink back-flipped onto the ground dodging Apocalypse's attacks and leapt onto his large finger; he slid along his shoulders and began tearing at his skin as suddenly Apocalypse yanked his body violently off his head and angrily held him tightly in his hands. Ratfink gasped in horror as Apocalypse peered into his eyes, "This is your last breath, mutant!"

"Whoa!" Ratfink exclaimed aloud cringing at Apocalypses face which stared into him like a glaring ball of fire, "Formaldehyde face!" Apocalypse took one cruel squeeze as he cried out in pain and suddenly became limp at his hands no longer struggling in his tight grip. Nightcrawler suddenly teleported among Apocalypses hand, grabbed Ratfink and teleported onto the ground laying his body in a corner. Meanwhile below as Cyclops blasted Apocalypse almost non-stop, Bam ran across the ground rapidly, leaping over Apocalypses foot and rolled along the smashed concrete as she stopped and caught a peek at the four pods where Cameo, Erder, Serinatta, and Jean stood docile in cryostasis fluid.

She looked back as Apocalypse didn't notice her presence and took a risk charging a large energy arrow from her hands and blasted them into the pods. The glass exploded one after the other as they fell out onto the ground to their knees, the yellow fluid draining onto the floor. She ran to Jean who was coughing aloud in and glaring in confusion.

"Wha—what happened?" she asked.

"Its apocalypse," she replied holding her up, "Cyclops and the others are fighting him."

"We have to stop him," said Jean.

"How?" she asked.

"Get the girls," she replied standing up, "I'll help." She ran off to the team's aid as Bam helped the others from their prisons.

Jean ran over to Cyclops who lurched back blasting at Apocalypse who cried out in anger swatting at them.

"Jean!" Cyclops said in surprise.

"We have to get out of here!" she warned.

"We can't leave here until he's down!" argued Cyclops.

"We can't beat him," replied Jean. She raised her arms and dropped them down as the ceiling tore from its foundation crashing down onto his shoulders. Bam helped Satta, Cameo, and Erder quickly as the ceiling crashed down onto Apocalypse. Suddenly she could see a glowing luminous blue pyramid from afar, the light was almost haunting until she came to a startling realization.

She helped carry the others across the room, "Jean!" she screamed, "I think he's getting the power from that pyramid thing!"

"No!" she gasped aloud, "It's his time machine! Scott, we have to activate his machine get him in there!"

"I'll do it!" Nightcrawler replied. He grabbed the three girls and Ratfink and teleported then appeared alone next to the time machine and began analyzing its mechanisms.

"Get out of here!" ordered Jean to Bam.

"No!" she argued, "I have to stay!"

She powered up her fists and with all her might hurled rapid fire energy balls at Apocalypses chest knocking him back. "No man big or small has been able to conquer my supreme power!" Apocalypse howled, "I am god, I am all powerful!" Nightcrawler began dialing sequences of codes into the machine and stood back as it began glowing brighter and brighter. Cyclops saw the machine and tore his visor off blasting Apocalypse back; apocalypse staggered back from the force screaming in anger as Jean increased the force with her telepathic blasts to his chest and Bam's energy blasts. "How many is that?" asked Wolverine as he and Beast stood over hordes of immobile soldiers that lay among the jet's floor.

"I-It's **_too_** many," he replied, "None have been killed, but they are badly wounded."

"Let's start up the engine," he said.

"What about the others?" asked Beast.

"They'll be here," replied Logan as he stormed to the cockpit.

"Should we take that risk?" asked Beast.

"You're asking that **_now_**?"

Cyclops pressed on blasting Apocalypse nonstop as Jean and Bam hit his legs knocking him to his knees, it was a sight that could have only been imagined as Apocalypse, the self-proclaimed god began to weaken before the onslaught of the force of the most powerful mutants on Earth. He stood back and let out a haunting howl as a beam of the blue glowing light blasted him in the back drawing him in like a fish line. He struggled relentlessly to fight its force as they pushed him with the force of their power. Nightcrawler teleported from Apocalypses body and bamfed to the group grabbed them and teleported from the base. Apocalypse grappled the walls in horror as the beam of light pulled him in closer and closer. Finally he rapidly began to lower down into human size and was sucked into the tomb. The pyramid closed shut locking Apocalypse into its small quarters and within an instant, the pyramid imploded and disappeared into thin air.

They stood outside the base watching the white beam of light turn into a blue bolt of light and dash into the sky like a shooting star.

"Where did he go?" asked Bam.

"Maybe to another time," replied Cyclops, "Another dimension." They stood watching among the wasteland known as Genosha. The battle had been fought, and the fates of young children had been tested against the supreme mutant known as "Apocalypse".

"You mean he's not dead?" asked Bam.

"No," replied Jean, "But he's down for a while."

"That sucks," she replied.

"Don't worry about it," replied Cyclops, "Let's just go home."

The armada of jets lifted off the island and blasted off into the ocean, the metal remains of Sentinels and Apocalypse's army strewn among the torn roots of the trees where a war had ensued. For the X-men it was a change of scenery to a place usually known for its misery. Most of the students lay among stretchers unconscious, some were asleep, and the kidnapped genetically altered students were docile with heavy sedatives.

"This was for nothing," Bam complained.

"Not totally," Serrinatta assured her.

"What makes you say that?" asked Bam.

"We got our friends back," she replied with a smirk.

"Apocalypse is still alive," she groaned.

"Just appreciate that we won," she argued, "And some of us took on that bastard and beat his ass." 

They laughed in victory as Chi sat beside Firestarter who lay on the stretcher hooked up to an oxygen mask. He looked over to her as she held his hand smiling with tears in her eyes. His face was bruised and dirt stained, but he pulled off what little strength he had left and smiled, "How about that drink?"

"No one was killed," Cyclops said with a sigh of relief as he looked out onto the sun which dove into the horizon of the ocean, "We were lucky."

"It was a miracle," replied Jean.

"Thanks to god," replied Nightcrawler.

"Miracle nothing," argued Logan on the other end of the radio, "We trained 'em right."

"I agree," replied Beast.

"Apocalypse may come back," warned Nightcrawler.

"We'll be ready," replied Cyclops.

"What about the students?" asked Jean.

"They'll be alright," replied Beast, "they'll be taken back to the medical quarters for healing and rejuvenation. They'll be just fine with proper care."

"I don't know about the lot of you, but I need a drink," replied Logan.

"And a long night's sleep," replied Nightcrawler. Cyclops looked back at his troops as they set way to go home, leaving the day battle that felt like ten years behind them forever. Some had grown closer than ever before on the battlefield, and some formed life-long friendships that could never be broken. Cyclops put on his visor and sighed, "Let's go home, everyone."

- **_ END_**

****

**Legal Disclaimer:**

The character Firestarter and Specter, Primus, Dash, and Connor Jenson are original creations of Felix Vasquez Jr.

The student characters from the story are borrowed creations from separate parties.

The X-men, Wolverine, Cyclops, Nightcrawler, Beast, Professor X, Sentinels, Jean Grey, etc. are created by Marvel Comics and Marvel Entertainment.


End file.
